A Love That Surpasses Worlds
by RaikugunSaiki
Summary: Being chased by an unknown group, you suddenly find yourself in the middle of Konoha in the Naruto World. Traveled through space, you don't have any memory of anything. Meeting the gang and making new friends, only one person stands out the most, Kiba Inuzuka. Once your memories are restored you realize your feelings and all questions are answered except one. Your world or him?
1. Chapter 1: RUN!

watch?v=m8PXMWueRPg&amp;list=RDNWaNW-aYhVY&amp;index=4

_It was dark out. Not a single person on the streets. Not even a stray cat or dog was seen in the dark alleyways. But I was too busy to notice._

_ \- _  
_Run. Faster. Faster. Faster!_

_That was the only thing I did. They were chasing me. I didn't know who, but all I knew I had to do was run._

_I couldn't see anything. It was too dark. Lampposts were the only things that lit up the gloomy streets, but one-by-one they were taken out._

_Trees passed by in a greenish blur. Goosebumps adorned my skin courtesy from the cold chill of the night. And I knew they were gaining closer._  
_Closer._

_ -  
_  
_I ducked straight into an alleyway, thinking I would outrun them. My luck soon ran out as I found myself facing an enormous brick wall._

_ A dead end._

_Turning around, I found my pursuers right behind me. I had nowhere to run. I had nowhere to go. I was completely trapped._  
_I closed my eyes, thinking _this is the end_. I heard what sounded like metal and I dared myself to look. Peeking from under my lashes, I saw each of them holding a sword-like weapon in their hands._  
_Malicious grins appeared on their faces and I shut my eyes. I took what I thought would be my last breath and heard the sound of ripping clothe._

_But not before I had the strange feeling of free falling._

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

_Hello! Ki-chan here!  
I'm sorry it's super short! This is my first story so please go easy on me. I don't know if it's good so please comment and everything! Thank You!_

P.S. All rights reserved to **Kishimoto-sama!** ^_^


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting

**_Chapter 2: Meeting_**

Falling. Falling. I was plummeting into a pit of nothingness. It seemed like it was never-ending. No beginning and no end.

Falling.

I closed my eyes, but suddenly snapped them open when I heard a loud '_oof_'.

-

I opened my eyes and gently touched my head. It stung. '_I'm gonna get a lump later'_ I thought to myself. Looking around, I saw what appears to be a gigantic field bordered by trees, a few patches of flowers of different kinds scattered here and there, and a big old tree stood out in the middle of it. _A clearing? _Then I suddenly had a feeling I was on top of something. Or _someone_.

"Hey! What's the big ide-"

Realization struck me as I got up on all fours with my knees and hands supporting my weight. Apologizing profusely, I looked down and saw a wide-eyed, red-faced, shaggy brunette boy. I wanted to question why he looked very flushed and why a small stream of blood was trickling down his nose, when I comprehended what he was looking at. I followed his eyes and I suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that my… chest.. landed on his face.

I tried to shake off the awkward feeling, although heat started to rise on my cheeks, and rolled to the side to get off of him, still apologizing. Helping him sit up, our eyes suddenly and accidentally met, stopping my strings of apology, and during that moment, I properly saw the boy who broke my fall.

Shaggy brown hair, perfectly formed face, two red triangles tattooed on his cheeks, and a pair of coal black, canine-like eyes that appeared to have the ability to melt with a single gaze. Overall, he wasn't half-bad looking.

Butterflies flying rapidly and wildly in my stomach, my heartbeat rising, thumping loudly in my ears, and my face growing even redder and hotter transforming an awkward flush into a full-out blush.

"Ahem…"

My eyes widened when I noticed we were not alone. Counting, there were 4 others besides us, which included two girls- a woman who appears to be in her early 30's and another girl who appears to be about the same age as me-, a boy who was fully covered and concealed with clothes, including black shades, and a very big, white dog. They all had different expressions on their faces- shock, embarrassment, curiosity, or just plain neutral. But the only expression they all shared was the look of caution.

I looked down at my hands trying to contain the rising warmth in my cheeks when I noticed a hand right in front of my face. Looking up at the stranger, it was the same boy who broke my fall; the nosebleed wiped off, although he still had a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. Looking back at his hand, I gave him a grateful smile and grabbed it. Helping me up on my feet, he smiled at me and I smiled back.

I was about to thank him when suddenly, my eyes widened and I felt a searing pain in my stomach. Dropping to my knees, I looked at my hands, which were clutching my abdomen.

_BLOOD_.

I began to feel faint and dizzy. Collapsing, the last thing I saw were worried faces of strangers and coherent sounds of words I couldn't make out before sinking into a pit of darkness. 

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

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_Helloo! It's Ki-chan again!_

_**THANK YOU** for reaching this far (even if it's just the second chapter)... or at least continuing this fic! I'm very grateful to you readers hahaha  
I also have to say that if you haven't noticed, based from the chapters, you might've already guessed that I am practically obsessed with spaces and such... and emoticons :P which may get annoying to some so I am **APOLOGIZING** in advanced ^_^_

_This is where Reader-chan meets Team 8, well mostly Kiba... ish 3 :3 I hope you enjoyed it! Please comment and everything :3  
Oh and I forgot to say before that it is in Reader-chan's point of view until I say it isn't hahaha_

_**HAPPY READING!**_

_P.S. All rights reserved to **Kishimoto-sama!** ^_^_


	3. Chapter 3: Waking Up

_**Chapter 3: Waking Up**_

Voices. Incoherent words I couldn't make out. I tried to gain open my eyes, but the unbearable pain in my side was too much for me to handle and I slipped back into unconsciousness.

-

Bright. It was too bright for my liking. Opening my eyes, I allowed light to seep through and replace the darkness. _Where am I? And why is it so bright?_

Looking around, I tried pushing myself to sit up, but the burning pain caused me to crash down on the bed.

"Look who's finally awake. Don't push yourself. You're still weak from that stab wound. You don't want to reopen it, do you?" I jumped, surprised there was someone else in the room besides me, causing me to clutch my abdomen in pain.

"Hey. Take it easy." Considering her words of advice, I cautiously laid back down on the mattress. She walked to the foot of my bed, took the clipboard, and started examining my condition, all the while, jotting down notes.

I sat stiffly as absolute silence filled the room; the only thing heard was the scratching sound of (pen/brush?) against paper. Turning my head to face the window on my right, I took in the view of the unfamiliar setting.

A friendly voice snapped me back to the girl beside me. "You're lucky, you know. Any later, you would've been in a much more serious problem than you are in now, due to the amount of blood lost." she said, smiling.

Taking a good look at her (since I didn't do so earlier), I noticed a pair of bright green eyes and an unnatural, yet interesting, shade of pink hair.  
I believe that everyone has a trait or feature that is unique and therefore stands out among the other qualities. Well for her, I would have to say her wide forehead.

Thinking that it may be a likely touchy subject, and not wanting to have any grudges against me in an unknown place, **_AND_** also considering the fact that she is responsible for my health and condition, I didn't dare bring it up. Instead, I tried returning the smile, but due to the pain, it only ended up looking more like a grimace.

"I don't think I've seen you around the village." She said with a closed-eyed smile. Lifting my sore arm, I clasped her outstretched hand. "I'm Haruno Sakura. What's yours?"

I broke the friendly handshake and placed my hand on the tender bump on my head.

"I- I really don't remember…"

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_ ======================================================================================================================================================================================================

_Hi! It's Ki-chan... again hahaha_

_DUN DUN DUUUNNNN... So here's the third chapter and again **I AM SO VERY SORRY THAT MY CHAPTERS ARE SHORT**... and with a lot of spaces and such hahaha :P_

_So this is where dear Reader-chan gets to meet Haruno Sakura._

_Frick. I keep forgetting to mention a lot of things.. The **ITALICIZED** words are Reader-chan's **THOUGHTS**._

_P.S. All rights reserved to **Kishimoto-sama!** ^_^_


	4. Chapter 4: In Konoha

_**Chapter 4: In Konoha**_

"I- I really don't remember..."

A frown immediately replaced Sakura's bright smile. Worry and panic embedded in her face. But the smile soon came back as fast it left.

"Don't worry. It must be due from the amount of blood lost and that bump on your head. I'm sure your memory will return sooner or later." She smiled her close-eyed smile, yet the glint of concern still shown when she opened her eyes to read the papers.  
_She's trying to reassure me. She doesn't want me to worry._

"Okay" She said, going back to the clipboard. "You're wound was too deep so we had to close it up as fast as we could with stitches and medical ninjutsu." She began explaining my condition.  
_Wait.. Ninjutsu? As in ninja? Where exactly am I? _A confused expression began to show on my face.

I don't think she noticed because she's still explaining, concentrated on reading the papers on the clipboard. "You're vital signs are stable despite the fact that you lost a lot of blood. So I recommend you stay overnight for a few days just as a precaution and to fully recuperate since your wound is starting to close and heal nicely." She put down the clipboard and looked directly at my face.

Seeing my obviously puzzled expression, hers changed from one of happy to worried. "Hey. Is everything alright? What's wrong?"

"Where- where exactly am I? I'm trying to remember but no matter how hard I try, this place doesn't look all too familiar. I don't think I've been here, even _**BEFORE**_ I've lost my memory."  
I said, looking out the window. I emphasized the word 'before', just to get my point straight.

I looked back at her. A similar look of confusion mirrored on her face. "Well you're in the hospital of Konoha which is also known as The Village Hidden in the Leaves. One of the great 5 nations." She paused, giving me the chance to let her words sink in. She sighed. "You've had a long day and you've gone through a lot. I think it's probably best if Lady Tsunade explains everything to you. But after you've healed of course."

"Lady Tsunade?"  
"Yes, the Hokage. She runs the Village Hidden in the Leaves and she's my master. She will explain everything." She said reassuringly.

I nodded in understanding, exhaustion finally taking over me. "Okay."

I stopped her as she was about to walk out the door of my room.  
"Thank you, Sakura."

She turned back to look at me. "You're welcome. Now rest. And if you need anything, don't be afraid to call me."

I smiled back, grateful, watching her retreating form back out of the room, and finally let sleep take over. 

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

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_Haii guys! Ki-chan here!_

_hanks for reading and 3 ing my story :3 I am **REALLY GRATEFUL** to you guys ^_^ 3 's for everyone!_

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to **Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	5. Chapter 5: Mystery of the Flowers

_**Chapter 5: Mystery of the Flowers**_

I woke up the next morning feeling better than I did yesterday. The pain isn't as bad, but the wound still stung and the bump on my head, still tender.

Groaning, I pushed my sore body into a sitting position and turned to look out the window.

The sun shone brightly and a few birds flew by. Many children seemed to have fun running around, playing games, while the adults went to the the market and ran their errands or just seemed to be out strolling about. _It's looks like such a great day, today._

Suddenly a loud grumbling echoed through the room. I put a hand over my stomach. _Hehe I must be hungry._ I thought. _I haven't eaten since yesterday._

I turned to call Sakura but what caught my eye stopped me in my tracks.

_What? Who could've left these here? I didn't see them yesterday._ A look of confusion etched on my face as I took the bouquet of flowers from the bedside table.

Flowers of different kinds were wrapped in Japanese paper and secured with a bow. _They're beautiful. But who could've sent these?_  
Truth be told, there was no card whatsoever. And if there was a card, it wouldn't be signed. It was a mystery, really.  
I had a feeling that these weren't placed here by the Konoha hospital because I would receive one everyday, still wrapped in paper, for the next 5 days I stayed here.

Curiosity took the better of me, so I decided that I would ask Sakura the next time I saw her. "Hey Sakura?" I started.

"Yes?" Was her answer. She was scribbling down notes on the clipboard again.

For the past few days, it became my routine. Wake up, find (another) bouquet of flowers, Sakura comes in to check on me, then she tells me to rest and leaves to run errands. After, she would come by to check up on me a few times again, and lastly, I go back to sleep for the night.

"Do you know who sent these flowers?"

"Hmm? Oh what beautiful flowers!" She exclaimed.

A sweat-drop rolled at the back of my head. "So I reckon you don't know anything, do you?"

"Oh sorry. No I don't."

I smiled at her. "It's ok Sakura. I'm just really curious, ya know?"

"Me too. But once you find out, tell me who this secret admirer is, you hear?" She said, winking, and returned the smile. Amusement and excitement filled her eyes. _Secret Admirer?_ A slight warmth rose to my cheeks as I thought about the possibility of her words and nodded in return.

As I lay on my bed that night, dozens of questions plagued my my head:

_Who sent me these flowers?_

_Why would they send me a bouquet anyway?_

_If Sakura didn't know who put these in here, then who would enter my room to do so?_

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

_Hai mah peeps! It's Ki-chan! :3_

_Here's another chapter I wrote for you guys when I was in Japan for a week ^_^ YAY JAPAN 3 !_

_I seriously hope I haven't lost my touch.. hahaha cause if I did PLEASE TELL ME!_

_Thanks again if you have gotten this far into the story :3 So this chapter is about how Reader-chan receives a mysterious bouquet of flowers everyday. I just wanted to give Reader-chan something to look forward to with this possible **secret admirer**__ ooohh._

_So please comment, 3 , etc. :P_

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to **Kishimoto-sama! ^_^**_


	6. Chapter 6: Two Jonins

_**Chapter 6: Two Jonin's**_

It's been a week since I first arrived here, in the village of Konoha, and I was finally deemed worthy to be discharged from the hospital.

I stretched, glad that I would be out of the stuffy building, and poked the healed, yet tender skin on my stomach.  
Even if the wound had closed, the new patch of skin that now covered and replaced what used to be a gaping hole is still delicate and fragile. In other words, if I stretch out, do any extraneous activity, or even be anywhere near reckless, the new layer of skin is still new, and therefore could still be easily torn and opened. _I would have to be extra careful with this wound._

Taking my newly cleaned clothes, I walked to the bathroom and changed out of my dirty hospital gown.  
I walked back out to the room and sat on the bed after I finally felt refreshed. _I miss the feeling of being clean._ It's true. Of course I take baths regularly, but because of the wound, I haven't felt completely revived. Now that it was (nearly) fully healed, I felt better than ever.

I sat in the room with only silence to keep me company while I waited. I am finally going to meet this Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade. _I wonder what she's like._ I thought. _She must be a very great Hokage_. I remembered all those times I heard Sakura talk about her, nothing but the utmost respect burning in her green eyes. _but she must be... strict may be the right word.._ Another memory flashed through my mind. But this time, it showed Sakura talking about Lady Tsunade with a slight cringe and a glint of fear masked behind the praising, respectful words.

A noise snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned my head to see Sakura enter the room, dressed out of her hospital scrubs, a serious expression on her usual friendly face. I looked at her, concerned. Coming closer, she stepped aside to reveal two older men who looked to be wearing similar green vests.

The first man on the left looked to be about in his late 20's to early 30's with wind blown silvery grey hair. Most of his face is covered by a skin-tight mask and a headband with an engraving of some sort of swirly symbol covering his left eye, leaving his right eye the only feature seen on his face. (A/N: does this make sense..?)

The second man on the right looked younger than the other and seemed to be in his mid 20's with brown, (almost) shoulder-length long hair. His face was framed by some sort of mask (A/N: hahaha idk if it's a mask. I'll just call it that :P) that had the engraving of the exact same swirl-like symbol of the first one.

_Who are they? Did I do anything wrong?_ I looked both concerned and confused at Sakura. Seeing my expression, she smiled reassuringly at me. Her smile seemed to say that everything will be okay.  
The silver haired male must've noticed my expression because the first thing he said was, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble if that's what you're thinking. We're here to escort you to see Lady Hokage. We know nothing about you and you may be a potential threat to the village. So Yamato, here, and I will be accompanying you. Just as a precaution." He said putting a hand on the one called Yamato's shoulder. I nodded in understanding as I finally relaxed, knowing that I wasn't in any kind of trouble whatsoever.

"I'm sorry I won't be able to go with you because I have my work pilling on top of me here. But Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato will take you to see Lady Tsunade in my place. Don't worry, they're really nice." Sakura said, beside me. I looked at the two men. Yamato smiled a friendly smile, while the one addressed as Kakashi smiled what looked to be a close-eyed smile. I stood from the bed, grinned and nodded at them in thanks.

"Okay. I'm ready to see The Fifth Hokage." 

_**"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

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_Hii! It's me, Ki-chan!_

_**THANKS A BUNCH** to everyone who is reading this story!  
and.. **I'M SORRY** for all and/or any of the **MISTAKES** I've made hahaha_

_Here's the next chapter wherein Reader-chan meets Jounins Kakashi and Yamato! I was actually supposed to add here Reader-chan meeting Tsunade-sama, but I decided against it which is pretty obvious.. :P_

_So.. anyway.._ **_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to **Kishimoto-sama!** ^_^_


	7. Chapter 7: Stairs and the Fifth Hokage

_**Chapter 7: The Damned Stairs &amp; The Fifth Hokage**_

The sun shone brightly as Captain Yamato and Kakashi-sensei led me through the village, towards, what they call, the Hokage Mansion.  
There was only silence between the three of us, but with the exception of my occasional asking of "what's this?" or "what's that?". At times, they wouldn't even answer my questions and just stayed silent, only a side glance as a reply.  
Well it is to be expected, especially since, like they had said before, they know very little about me which results into assuming that I am a potential threat and danger to the Hidden Leaf Village. _Well even if they are very wary about me, it's still rude to ignore someone and not reply._ I thought. Still. They should've at least given me a mere "that's classified information" or something along those lines. I sighed again, knowing that I wasn't about to get anymore than what had already been said about the village I was currently stuck in.

Instead I looked and observed my surroundings. People roamed the streets and crowded around shops and stores, trying to buy what was on sale, some seemed to be heading towards the market and do their errands around the village, while others were strolling the streets, laughing and making conversation with each other. What I assumed to be parents were sitting down on benches, keeping their eyes on their kids as they played and ran around. One of them was chasing the other kids while the rest of them ran around like their lives depended on it. Their giggles and laughter filled the air causing me to smile at the scene. _What a lively village._

I turned my head once again as a red building came into view. _So this is the famous Hokage Mansion_. I looked up at the building, astonished at its size, causing me to fall flat on the ground on my butt. _It's so huge. _Two pairs of arms helped me up and I looked at either of my sides to see both Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato with amused expressions on their faces.  
Well.. an entertained glint in Kakashi's... eye, since his face was covered.

A small "thanks" escaped my lips and they nodded in response. _Still silent are we?_ I sighed yet again for the tenth time that day and it isn't even afternoon yet.  
I followed my two escorts up the long sets of steps. And when I say long, I mean VERY LONG. We climbed, and climbed, and climbed... _Geez how long are these stairs? _My question was soon answered when I spotted the last step which was inching closer to us as we walked. To me, what was only a few minutes felt more like hours when I climbed these damned stairs. Yes it was that long. Once we reached the top, my two escorts looked completely unfazed by the _'journey'. _I, on the other hand, was a completely different story entirely. I finally reached the top of the stairs a while after Kakashi and Yamato did. Although they looked unfazed, I was the complete opposite; I was gasping for air, strands of hair stuck out, my clothes were disheveled, and I was panting as I literally crawled up the last step.

Standing up, my hand was positioned on my knee, trying to keep myself upright, and my other hand was preoccupied by tightly gripping the metal railing for dear life. I took my time to try to catch my breath and steady myself from falling down the steps. _Wow I'm out of shape._ I looked up at the two males to see them both chuckling amusedly at me. I straightened myself and puffed out my cheeks whilst shooting them a glare. I crossed my arms and turned my head to the side like a little kid who didn't seem to have their way. "Hmm. Show offs." I huffed. Truth be told, I wasn't completely surprised, seeing that they do live in the village and they have most likely climbed these god-forsaken stairs every single day. _Compared to these people, I really __am__ out of shape.._ I looked down and poked my belly. _I seriously need to start working out.._  
I turned my head back to peer at the stairs fearfully- not because I might topple over and fall to my death, but the thought of falling over and having to start back from the bottom of the stairs caused me to shudder. _I definitely don't wan't to go through that hell again. Have__these people ever heard of an elevator or something?_ However, I wasn't that kind of person. I quite enjoy taking the stairs as a form of exercise even if they were still long. But this... this is just outright ridiculous.

A "C'mon, we're almost there" snapped me out of my thoughts and I continued to follow the males down the corridor. We eventually stopped in front of a wooden door. Kakashi knocked, signaling whoever was on the other side of our arrival. A response came soon after. "Enter" which was our cue to enter. Once I stepped inside, I noticed two women in the room. One looked to be in her twenties with short black hair and black eyes and held two things in her arms. On one hand, she held a clipboard and in the other arm, she carried a pig who seemed to be wearing clothes and a necklace. _Weird.._  
On the other hand, the other woman seemed to be in her late twenties to thirties with a purple diamond dotted on her forehead. She had long blond hair which was tied into two pigtails, cascading down her shoulders, a big bust, and a stressed expression lined her features. She was very pretty.

I looked at their expressions, seeing that they had cautious and analytical glints in both of their eyes. _They're studying me._ The voice of the blond woman snapped me out of my thoughts when I was analyzing both of them in return.

"I am Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage."

_**"**__**Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."**_

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_Heyy guys. Ki-chan is not dead.. I repeat I am __**NOT DEAD**__._

_**I APOLOGIZE**__ for not updating sooner. I know I haven't been updating and I am terribly sorry. But you should seriously see how much work and projects are piling up over my head. It's ridiculous, really. I also apologize for any errors here :'( __**AANNDDD BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A LAME CHAPTER...**_

_But... __**THANK YOU**__, anyway, for reading my story, Reader-chan! It means a lot to me since this is obviously not a great work. Thanks anyway for actually viewing and reading this far into the story. Also for the 3's :3!_

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading ^_^_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	8. Chapter 8: Solution

First of all, I would like to dedicate this chapter to "Bass Music Lover Forever" for being the first one to review on this story. THANK YOU! 3 Now on with the chapter!

Hokage. That word. What does it mean again?

_'__Right, now I remember.'_ Sakura mentioned once that the hokage runs the village- sort of like their leader. They are also the village's strongest and most respected ninja.

Remembering Sakura's words, I gave a small bow to show her a sign of respect. _'I may not know her but God knows what she might do to me if she gets angry.'_ I internally shuddered when I remembered Sakura's expression when she told me all those times Lady Tsunade got angry.

Seeing me bow, a warm smile spread across her face, some traces of hostility vanished from her eyes. "I told you my name. Now it's only polite to give me yours in return."

"But Lady Tsunade, she-" The female hokage raised her hand to silence Yamato.  
"Yes, I am fully aware of the girls conditions." Yamato nodded his head, closed his mouth, and took a step back to stand beside Kakashi who merely watched the scene unfold behind his mask.

Tsunade then turned back to me and stood up from her chair. "A young girl, roughly the age of 15-17, was discovered in the training field by Team 8." She began making her way around the table, eyes meeting mine. "She collapsed due to blood loss from a stab wound and a few cuts and bruises and soon woke up in the hospital without recollection of any of her memories." She walked towards me, eyes trained on my face.  
"Does this sound familiar?" By the time she said this, she stood directly in front of me and looked me straight in the eye. I could see her trying to find out if anything that came out of my mouth was false. "Yes", I said honestly in reply to her question.

Seeing and finally believing that what I was saying is the absolute truth, she nodded her head in approval. "But what I'm asking is, if you could give me your name **WHEN **you remember."

"How do you know if I'll ever get my memories back?" I questioned sadly. I had some doubts that I could regain my lost memories. Sakura tried to use what she called as the "Mystical Palm Technique" and a few other methods but nothing ever happened. She then said that it had to come naturally and will return when the time comes.

I looked up at Tsunade when she put one hand on my shoulder warmly and smiled at me reassuringly with newfound determination glinting in her hazel eyes. "I know because we'll do whatever we can to recover your memories. And as ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we never go back on our promises nor will we give up on those who seek our aid."

Happiness and hope filled in me. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

She again smiled warmly at me and went to sit back down behind on her chair. Her elbows and entwined fingers rested on top of the desk. "Now getting back to business." She looked at each and every one of us pointedly, and then her gaze went back to me.

"I believe the cause of the of issue at hand is from the amount of blood lost from your body. You lost too much blood from your stab wound, it's actually a miracle you're still a live", she said seriously. I gulped nervously.

"Another cause is that you had hit your head" I unconsciously touched the still slightly tender- but healing- bump on the side of my head. Its all thanks to the amount of time I spent resting in the hospital and also from Sakura's skills and medication, it reduced in size and it doesn't hurt as much. Well, compared to last time.

"I advice you to rest. We'll all do whatever we can to help, but-" "But?" I asked worriedly. "These kinds of things take time. You can't force your memories to come back. It will heal in time, rest assured." I nodded in understanding. "Of course. I understand."

Seeing the sad look on my face, I could feel everyone's sympathy for me. "But I believe that you could help me so I choose to believe in you." Hope glinting in my eyes. _'__I don't want anyone's sympathy. I'm perfectly fine and I understand the hokage's words.'_

"Perhaps if I may, I could suggest something, my lady?" I turned to see Kakashi take a step forward from beside Yamato-taichou. Tsunade nodded for him to continue. "Yes. What is it Kakashi."  
"We all know that the young lady here has amnesia." "Yes." Suddenly, a whiteboard came up behind him and little drawings started to appear as he talked. I looked at it curiously. "And amnesia refers to an inability to recall information that is stored in the memory. In simple terms, amnesia is the loss of memory."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, looking at the whiteboard behind him with an eyebrow raised. "What's your point?"

"Memory is found in the brain- in the mind. And there is one person who works well with the mind."  
A look of understanding passed on Tsunade's and Shizune's face. "Of course", Tsunade mumbled. She looked at Shizune who nodded and left with an "I'll send for him right away!"

Yamato stared wide-eyed and horrified at Tsunade and Kakashi for suggesting and approving the idea. "Kakashi! We are **NOT** going to send her to Ibiki!", he pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi who merely sweat-dropped (as did everyone else). By the time he said this, Shizune returned and stood beside Tsunade with the incredibly civilized pig, Ton-ton, in her arms.  
_'__Well that was quick..'_

I turned back to the hysteric Yamato and the nonchalant Kakashi.  
"Ibiki?" "He's terribly skilled at his work. He's head of the Interrogation and Torture Division." Shizune piped up. Anime-like blue lines appeared under my eyes as I stated at Kakashi horrified.  
He just continued on standing there like he said nothing out of the ordinary.. or crazy for that matter.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a blonde man with long hair (which he keeps tied in a pony-tail) steps into the room. Tsunade greeted the stranger when he entered.

"Inoichi Yamanaka."

_"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

HEYYYY! Ki-chan's back!

hehehe. Well... to start of, my apologies first! _**SORRY**_ I haven't updated in.. 2 months?  
I actually have a lot of excuses but it's up to you if you want to believe me :P  
Well there was the work-load.. There's also a lot happening in life and everything.. (at some points, I was actually lazy soo... I have no excuse there..)

_**THANK YOU**_ Bass Music Lover Forever, again, for being the first person to review on this story. And to you, Reader-chan- for reading this story! I 3 you guys!

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	9. Chapter 9: Three Leaders

"Inoichi Yamanaka." The Hokage greeted.  
The middle-aged man nodded his head. He didn't look as old to be considered as an old man, yet not young either. Probably in the 40's perhaps?  
"You have requested for my presence, my lady", a small bow followed afterwards. 'Wow these people sure have interesting hair.'

"I am sure you were informed of the matter at hand." The man named Inoichi turned his gaze to me. "Yes I have."  
"Will you help her?"

Inoichi studies me quietly with his penetrating look and I shrank under his gaze. He seemed to be looking deep in my mind. 'Which he probably was.' I shifted uncomfortably.

"I am not one to help strangers with whom I have little information about. And my skills should not be used for something as mindless as this." He crossed his arms and spoke seriously. 'Well there goes my memories. Bye-bye memories.' Sadness evident in me face.  
A grin suddenly appeared on his face. 'Huh? This guy sure changes his expressions easily.' Sadness changed to confusion. "But I'm a Yamanaka, part of the great Yamanaka clan. We don't refuse those who seek for our aid. Plus you're about the same age as my daughter. It's a shame to have lost your memories so young." Sympathy glinted in his eyes.

"That's Inoichi alright. Always playing mind games on us." Yamato and Kakashi chuckled amusedly. Once again, hope filled me. "Thank you so much!"

Inoichi motioned for me to follow him. "Take care of her Inoichi. And report back to me immediately of her status." The blond man bowed and left. "Thank you for everything Hokage-sama" I bowed to her. "You're welcome. Return back afterwards. I have to sort out some matters with you." She smiled warmly at me.

I bowed one more time before I ran out to chase after Inoichi, not catching the troubled look Tsunade gave me when I turned my back and left the room.

"So.. Yamanaka-sama..?"

"Please just address me as Inoichi. You're making me feel old." He joked

"Ok.. Inoichi-sama?

"What is it" It came out more of a statement than a question.  
"What exactly is it you do?"

Mr. Inoichi looked at me with a look that screams 'seriously?'  
"You ask for my help yet you don't know what I do." He said blandly.

"Uhh.. Yes?" I chuckled nervously. I don't want to upset him, but no one told me of his occupation or "skills". 'I mean, I lost my memory for goodness sake. Of course I wouldn't know.'

He sighed in exasperation. " If you must know. I am the head of the Intelligence Division and leader of the great Yamanaka Clan."

"Really?" "Yes-"

"That must be so cool! A mean being the head of both your own division and a must be a tough job with all the responsibilities, and the clan members you have to keep tabs on, oh and don't forget the paper work!" I continued ranting on until he stopped me. "Yes it's hard. Now do you want me to tell you what I do or not?" He questioned. I grinned sheepishly at him and allowed him to continue.  
"The Yamanaka Clan specializes in the mind and any mind-relates techniques. Because of our skills, we are masters in intelligence gathering and espionage." A look of pride set in his eyes as he talked about his beloved clan. I kept quiet and listened intently, interested in their amazing power.

"We, Yamanaka's, are also experts in sensory, transferring consciousness, reading minds, and communicating telepathically."

"Woow" I looked at him in awe and he chuckled amusedly at my expression. By this time, we stood directly outside a tall building.

It was white in color and it looked old yet well taken care of. A green-tiled roof covered the top of the building and the same swirly symbol- which I have learned it to be the village's symbol- lay perched on the center of the roof. People went in and out of the building, minding their own business as we walked towards the entrance.

"Well here we are. Let's go in and start right away." He opened the big doors of the building and waited for me to stop staring at the building to catch up with him.

Following him inside, we were greeted by numerous of people going about their daily errands.

"Good morning, Yamanaka-san." Inoichi-sama nodded to the man in greeting. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Yamanaka-sama." Deep voices mocked. An anime anger vein popped out of Yamanaka-sama yet a cool expression stayed in his face as he sighed in exasperation. "I don't want to deal with this right now." I heard him mumble.

Two men soon came into view. They both looked to be the same age as Mr. Inoichi. One was tall, chubby, and had long red spiky hair with purple marks on his cheeks.  
The other had his black spiky hair in a high ponytail, dark eyes, and visible dark scars on his face. The two men wore mocking smiles and sniggers as they grinned at the ever annoyed Yamanaka clan head.

"Chōza. Shikaku. What are you two doing here?" Yamanaka-sama massaged his temple when he felt a sporting headache come on.  
The one addresed as Shikaku grinned at him. "Aww don't be like that Inoichi. C'mon let's go to a bar and share a few laughs, maybe even a few drinks."

"Yeah Inoichi. This is one time in a long time we can hang out like the old days." The other who I assume is Chōza smiled at him.  
Inoichi-sama sighed heavily. "Not now. If you see, I'm busy. Maybe later." I followed behind him as he walked passed Shikaku-sama and Chōza-sama. "Oh c'mon Inoichi. What's so important that you don't have anytime to drink with us?" Shikaku-sama teased.

"An order- no- more like a favor from the Hokage." Shikaku and Chōza stopped, serious yet curious expressions their faces. "A favor? What did she ask?" Chōza questioned. Inoichi-sama pointed at me and a look of surprise passed on Shikaku and Chōza's faces, finally noticing I was there. 'Ouch..'

Then the look on their faces changed. Chōza's face shown kindness while Shikaku had a more like a "mission-mode" face on.  
"What's the mission?"  
"Well, like I said earlier, it's more of a favor than a mission."  
The two smiled at me. "What's your name little one?" 'Little one? Seriously? What am I five?' Then, sadness washed over me in seconds. "I'll explain everything later." Inoichi stated when they looked at him in confusion. The other two men nodded in understanding and smiled at me kindly.

I stayed quiet the whole time, not wanting to interrupt their sweet... uhh.. moment..? between the.. grown.. men... (I mean if they were called that way by the way they were acting earlier. They acted like teenagers with each other. It's sad and at the same time funny.)  
I smiled back at them shyly. "So Shukaku-sama, Chōza-sama, how do you all know each other?" "Well the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clans have been working alongside each other for generations. We are all leaders of our clans and close partners as a team."  
I nodded I understanding and was led to this big contraption like thing in the middle of the room.

"Well, in you go." Inoichi motioned for me to get in. My smile faded when I took one glance at was in front of me. Blue lines appeared under my eyes. "Really? You want me to get into that.. thing? What do you want to do to me?" It was a huge stone object. It stuck out of the ground and it was 15 ft wide.

All three men chuckled amusedly. "This will help me go into your mind. And in short, it will also help keep you alive lest something goes.. wrong." He said calmly. 'Goes wrong?' I gulped nervously at his words.

"And you want me to get into that." I said matter-of-factly. He nodded. "Ok if this will help me.." If this will help me get back my memories, I'll do it. Even if I have to get into this giant thing.

I got in and they secured metal contraptions and wires on me as I tried (highlighted word: TRIED) to get comfortable. Just then black intricate designs of letters and symbols circled around me, on the stone. I looked at it confused. 'Gosh I sure hope this works. I wanna get out of here already and I can't move my body.' I shifted uncomfortably in the stone object. 'Plus.. I have a wedgie. Agh it's uncomfortable. Someone help me!'

"Are you ready?" I snapped out of my thoughts and got prepared for what was about to happen.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Ok close your eyes and try to relax. It will feel like only a few minutes passed."

I tried to do what I was told but stopped suddenly. "Wait. Feel?"

Then darkness took over me once again.

I woke up with a start. I regained consciousness when I saw a tired Inoichi-sama sitting down in a chair. A clock hung on one side of the room.

4:29 pm

He was right. It only felt like a few minutes passed. When I came here, it was around 12 o'clock in the afternoon.

The metal objects and wires were removed from my body and I stumbled out of the giant machine.

I ran towards Inoichi-sama, eager to know the results.  
Then I stopped abruptly. Pure confusion etched in my face.  
I don't feel anything. I don't **REMEMBER** anything. Nada. My past memories were still not there and I walked cautiously towards the three men who were looking at stacks of paper.

"W-why don't I remember anything? What happened?" I questioned unsure.

Inoichi-sama sighed heavily, a sincere apologetic look appeared on his face. "I'm sorry. Something must've gone wrong. I couldn't find anything."

"But-" I sighed heavily. "I guess it can't be helped. But thank you for trying anyway." I thanked him greatly with a bow. Even if I was sad- no, frustrated- I didn't show it. Yes I am mad. Who would be if they had lost a chance in regaining their lost memories. But I am grateful that Inoichi-sama had tried his hardest to help me.

The three clan leaders looked at me in sympathy. I sighed again. "Well if you'll excuse me, the hokage asked me to to return to her office once I am finished here."

"Before you go, let me ask my daughter to escort you back to the hokage. You might get lost and I am not taking that risk. The hokage might have my neck if that happens.. like last time." He muttered the part. Shikaku, Chōza, and Inoichi shuddered simultaneously. 'Something must've happened to them to react that way.' The hokage must've done something terrible to them to let respectable men like these react like this. 'Remind me to never to get her mad.'

Just as he said that, a fair-skinned girl wearing fairly-revealing purple clothes walked up to us. She had her waist-long blonde hair up in a high ponytail, blue eyes, and bangs covering the right side of her face.

"Hey dad." She waved.

'Dad?' I turned to look at Inoichi smile at her in a loving, fatherly way. 'Ahh. No wonder the long, blonde hair looked familiar. Well the only difference is their hair color.' Inoichi-sama's is more of a dirty blonde, while his daughter is more pale in color.

"Good afternoon, Ino. Mind doing me a favor?"

"Aww c'mon dad. I'm on my break! I have to do more work when I should be relaxing? I'm only here because mom told me you have to tell me something." Ino whined to her father.

"Please Ino? You'll help me by doing this favor from lady hokage."

Ino's expression suddenly changed. Ranging from contemplation to confusion to surprise then sympathy. Ahh sympathy. I'll never get tired of that look (note the sarcasm).

She turned her gaze towards me. I sighed. "I reckon he told you about my... situation through telepathy. Am I right?" She scratched her cheek with a soft "yeah".

I crossed my arms and sighed again. "You know, I won't get offended if you say it out loud. It's an obvious fact so it's ok if you say it in front of my face. I just don't like the fact that people look at me with sympathy and pity all the time." Everyone grinned sheepishly, or rubbed their necks uncomfortably. Others looked away in embarrassment.

"Well then. I'll escort you back to the Hokage Mansion. You might get lost. Plus I can show you around and introduce you to some of my friends."

"Really? You would do that?"

"Sure! Another friend added to the group won't hurt! The more the merrier!" She said cheerily.  
A smile of pure happiness came into my face. "Thank you so much!" She laughed.

"Speaking of which, were are Shikamaru and Chōji?" Ino sighed in annoyance. "I don't know. Probably cloud-watching, playing shōgi, or roaming around the village eating chips or something. Or maybe with Asuma-sensei using up all his money by stuffing their faces in barbecue." Shikaku and Chōza gave thoughtful looks.

Ino then turned back to me, a bright kind smile on her face. "Let's go then. We might bump into some of my friends at this hour."  
I nodded in excitement and turned around, giving a deep bow to the three men. "Thank you for helping me." I straightened and smiled gratefully. They nodded in return. "You're welcome. If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask us." I grinned back at then and followed Ino as she led me out the doors of the building, missing the same troubled looks Tsunade had sent me as they gazed at the stacks of papers in hand.

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

HEYYYY! It's Ki-chan!

As usual, I would like to give you guys a gigantic _**THANK YOU**_, for reading this story! I 3 you, minna!

hehehehehehehe. Yamanaka.. mind games.. get it? :P

no? ok then..

Ok so I said in the comments, I already wrote the ending to this story when I wrote the beginning (If you get what I mean). And I'm super duper excited to finish this story and know your reaction! :3 Love you, minna and continue reading this story until the end! ^_^

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	10. Chapter 10: Team 9, 7, and a girl named

Walking down the streets of Konoha, I breathed in the refreshing afternoon air of the village. Ino "toured" me, and by tour, what I really meant was her pointing out and naming the buildings that were beside the road leading towards the Hokage Mansion. _'I guess she didn't want to get in trouble for straying and delaying time.'_

"Hiya Ino!" A smile lit up Ino's features. "Hey Tenten! Neji!" I turned around and saw two people heading our way- a girl and a boy who are about my age.

The girl had dark brown eyes and her dark brown hair was put up into two Chinese-style buns on either side of her head with short-fringe bangs falling over her forehead protector.  
On the other hand, the boy had dark brown waist-length (or longer) hair, which he keeps it tied back a few inches above the end in a loose ponytail. His lavender-tinted pupiless eyes shown to be uncaring, yet he carries himself with a high-level of respect and dignity.

"Oh! Who's this?" The two looked at me curiously. Ino looked at me and I nodded in confirmation, allowing her to tell them why I'm here.

She cleared her throat. But before she began, she turned to me and introduced her friends. "Ohh. I almost forgot. This here is Tenten, Weapons Mistress of Konoha." She teased the girl who blushed in embarrassment. "Hi!" Tenten grinned.

Then Ino pouted, "and this Mr. Grumpy-pants is Neji Hyuga, genius prodigy of the great Hyuga Clan." Neji only glared at her for her first comment but did not make any move to retort. He looked at me and nodded as a greeting. I smiled kindly at them.

"Ok so back to topic, I'll just tell you guys the gist of it. Team 8 found this girl in the training field and she woke up in the hospital with amnesia. She doesn't remember anything of her past blah, blah, blah. Long story short, we are trying to help her regain her memories. Oh and don't worry about her being an enemy spy, we checked up on that already. She's clear." Ino added, when she saw the look of caution on Neji's and Tenten's face.  
I sweat dropped. _'Blah, blah, blah. Really Ino? Really? Well that's the summery of my.. life?- no more like present events.'_  
Pity. They looked at me in pity. Again. "Oh and don't look at her like that. She hates it." Ino stated a matter-of-factly. So they switched their expressions to curiosity. I sighed. _'Great. Now they're looking at me like I'm a bug trapped in a jar.'_

"Please don't look at me like that either." I folded my arms crossly. Tenten grinned sheepishly, while the Neji looked away, uninterested.

Ino cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention. "Anywaayy.. What are you guys doing out? Aloonee?" She dragged the 'o' and wiggled her eyebrows in a certain manner.

The two only glared at Ino as she laughed at them. "What are you implying Ino?" Tenten shouted. Unmistakably, there was a somewhat noticeable blush on her cheeks. The Hyuuga on the other hand, continued on glaring at Ino.  
If looks could kill, Ino would be dead, dowsed with a bucket of all things nasty in the world, then buried 50 feet deep. Yet, I could see a change of color on his cheeks. _'Is the nonchalant, serious Hyuga blushing?'_ I giggled at their embarrassed expression and they looked away, avoiding to look at our faces and each other. I giggled again.

"WE ARE NOT GOING ON A DATE!" The weapons mistress screamed. Neji nodded in agreement.  
"Hihi. Whatever you say. I sooo believe you guys." Ino sarcastically said. The two fumed at her. "By the way, where's L-" Then as she said those words, a reply was heard from a distance. "Who is having a youthful introduction and meeting of friends without inviting me?"

Suddenly, something crashed right beside me. Everyone- except me- sweat dropped. Of course I was terrified for my life. Who wouldn't be if something suddenly crashed right beside them, then and a "Yes! It is I, Rock Lee! The youthful and handsome green devil of the Leaf!" could be heard through the dust and debris.

I heard a simultaneous sigh of exasperation and annoyance come from the three ninja's.

"Spoke a bit too soon." I heard one of them say.

"I should've known." _'Should've known..? Wait.. This is normal for them?'_ I began questioning their sanity and I looked weirdly at them. I jumped back when a weird looking green blur rushed and leaned close, right in front of my face.

It- or he- had his hair in a weird jet-black bowl haircut and wide, round eyes, which shown excitement and extreme hyper-ness. He wore a flak jacket over his weird looking green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers, and wore his red "forehead protector" as a belt.

_'__Wait.. Are those eyebrows...? Why are they so thick? WAHH! Is it just me, or did they move?'_  
*shudder* _'Weird...'_

"Now who is the Team 9's youthful flower and my eternal rival introducing themselves to?"  
"Well, Lee… umm….. I actually don't know." They all turned to me but I merely shrugged my shoulders.  
A waterfall of tears ran down Lee's face. "How sad! This youthful girl doesn't remember her own name!" I sweat-dropped. '_Does he always exclaim everything he says? Is this guy for real?'_

"Yes this is normal… for him anyways." Tenten answered before I was able to voice out my question.  
"Just don't mind him. Try to ignore him if you can."{1} I nodded my head at Ino.

I took another look around at Konoha while the other three two- the girls- were trying to get Lee to shut up. My eyes landed on the faces carved on the side of the mountain that barricaded one part of the village.

"Hey Ino?" She hummed to notify that she was listening.  
"What are those faces on the side of the mountain?" "Ohh that? Well it is called the Hokage Monument, or the Hokage Mountain, or the Hokage Rock. Those are all the faces of all the past hokage's of the village. Every time a new hokage comes along, their faces are carved into that maintain. It's the most representative landmark of Konohagakure."  
Neji then stepped in to join in the conversation." Yes, ranging from the first hokage or "Shodai Hokage"- as he is the founder of our village- Hashirama Senju, the second hokage or Nidaime, his brother, Tobirama Senju, the third hokage, the Sandaime, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the fourth hokage, the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, and the fifth, also known as the Godaime, whom you have already met, Lady Tsunade."  
I stared in awe at the great stone faces of Konoha. _'They must really be the best of the best to get their faces on the mountain and be acknowledged as the greatest ninja in the village.'_ Then a thought suddenly struck me.

"So speaking of which. If they are considered to be the greatest ninjas of the village, there must be a whole bunch of wannabe's." Snickers and laughter's were heard from the entire group and smirks shown on some faces.  
"You bet!"  
"Really?"  
Growing admiration then could be seen on everyone. "Yup. Especially the blond hyperactive knuckle-head of the village."  
I looked at them in confusion.

"He is the biggest "hokage-wannabe" you will ever meet!" Tenten said.  
Ino explained afterwards, "Considering his harsh childhood, he was shunned by everyone in the village. He has always wanted to be hokage, so that he could be recognized by everyone."  
"Wow. I wanna meet him! He sounds like a really inspiring person to everyone."

They chuckled. "He is."  
"Yes! Naruto-kun's youthfulness has inspired and motivated everyone in the village!"  
"He even beat Neji over here." Tenten jerked her thumb in Neji's direction.  
He sighed in exasperation, "That was two years ago."  
"Yes it was, but it is still funny to tease you about it." Ino cut in.

Neji shook his head at his friends and paid attention to the conversation as it switched back to the original topic.  
"Well you're lucky because you'll be able to meet him soon. He just got back from a mission so there's a possibility we will run into him on our way the hokage. You're fortunate to have come at a good time. Most of our free days actually start now so you'll be able to meet everyone together and we'll be able introduce you to the rest of the gang." I grinned in excitement. The thought of making friends in this strange land made me happy, happy that I will get to meet new people who will hopefully have my back for anything.

"Ahem. Anyways, you guys care to escort us to the Hokage Mansion?" Ino then turned to Neji and Tenten. "Or would you guys like to continue your "date"?"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, WE ARE NOT GOING ON A DATE!" They shouted.  
"What?! The team's youthful flower and my eternal rival are going on an intimate date together without inviting me?", Lee exclaimed, anime-like tears streamed down his face.

Ino smirked while Neji and Tenten sighed at their other team member.  
"You know what? Forget it. We'll accompany you guys to Tsunade-sama." Neji nodded in agreement at Tenten's answer. "Which reminds me that I have a few questions about the mission I was given", he added in.

They all looked at me, silently questioning if they could come with us or if I was going to refuse their company. I nodded my head "Well let's go then!" I exclaimed happily. They nodded their heads and we continued to chat until we reached the Hokage Mansion.

-

_'__Damnit…'_  
I looked up at the same god-forsaken stairs resentfully.

"I can't believe I have to climb these stairs again", I grumbled.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lee ran in front of me and squatted down. I, as did everyone else, sweat-dropped. "Uhh.. Lee? What are you doing?"

"Climb onto my back! I will youthfully carry you up the stairs!"  
"… why..?" I looked at him weirdly.  
"Because it is a form of my youthful training and you do not want to climb up the stairs! With this, it I like killing two birds with one stone!" His eyes sparkled with the idea of his "genius plan".

"Are you serious, Lee?" Tenten questioned.

"Yeah Lee! I don't think she would wa-" "Okay." I cut in.  
"Seriously?! Why?!" The girls proclaimed. Neji just looked at me weirdly.

"Well like he said before, this is for his training. Plus, I really don't want to climb those stairs again." I reasoned.

They sighed while Lee exclaimed a "Yes!"  
"Why can't we have a race instead? To make things more interesting?"  
"Yes! What a brilliant idea! A youthful race to motivate everyone and to keep our bodies looking as youthful as ever!" With that being said, I hopped onto Lee's back.  
"But-" We didn't give them enough time to finish their sentence before Lee began running up the stairs in record time.

We soon reached the top in no time. "20 seconds! Not fast enough! I have to train harder!" I sweat-dropped at Lee for the fiftieth time today._'__Again, is this guy for real?'_

A minute later, we spotted the other three calmly walking up the stairs. "You guys are no fun!" I yelled to them.  
"That's because we didn't agree whatsoever to the race. You just ran off ahead of us!" Tenten called back. I grinned sheepishly at them.

Once they finally reached the top, we made our way to the Hokage's main office.  
Knocking the door, we heard an "Enter" from the other side and did what we were told. Taking a step into the office, I spotted four people, along with the ever stressed hokage and her assistant + the pig.

The other four who were inside the room turned to look at us. Two familiar faces smiled genuinely at me from where they stood.  
"Yamato-taichou! Sakura!" They greeted me merrily in return.  
"Ahh you're back and I see you have made new friends along the way." Lady Tsunade greeted each of us individually.  
"Hey guys! We just came back from a mission. What are you guys doing here?"  
Ino answered the pinkette. "I'm here to accompany her and we both happened to bump into Team 9, so they followed us as well. What was your mission anyway?"  
"We just had to deal with a couple of bandits from a nearby village. Easy enough."  
"Yeah and in my opinion, a little bit too easy." I heard someone grumble.

Turning to the side, I noticed a boy with a pout on his trademark-whiskered face. He was tall with spiky blond hair and striking blue eyes. He wore a black and orange colored tracksuit with red swirls on both his arms and the back of his jacket and what they call a forehead protector- with the Konoha symbol etched on it- was black in color and was extended to look somewhat like a bandanna.

The other boy had short, straight black hair and dark eyes compared to his extremely pale skin. His outfit consists of a short dark gray-cropped shirt and a black "jacket", which has one of the sleeves shorter than the other, with red straps. He also wore black gloves, pants, and sandals.

Tsunade and Sakura sighed "Will you shut up Naruto?"

"I can't help it! How can I improve my skills if I don't get challenging missions? C'mon granny Tsunade, you have to give me something better than that! Something with more action!" _"__Granny? But she's doesn't look old.'_  
I could see Sakura's and Tsunade's vein pop from where I am standing. Sakura then punched him hard, causing a gigantic bump to appear on his head. _'__Ouch! Remind me to never get her mad either.'_

Tsunade sighed once more. "Thank you for the mission report. You are dismissed." The hokage massaged her temples when she felt another headache coming along. They bowed in respect- except for Naruto who was still pouting until Sakura forced him to bow by pushing his head to the ground- and soon after, Yamato left, but not before smiling kindly, greeting me, and wishing me a "good luck".  
I smiled back at him in thanks.

The remaining other three (who have been dismissed) walked up to us before leaving, with Naruto still nursing his wounds (thanks to Sakura) and the other pale boy showing a genuine fake smile. They stopped in front of us and the friends greeted each other hello.

I looked at the whiskered boy. "So you're Naruto?" He stopped tending to his bruises. "Huh? Have we met before?" He questioned.  
"No. I'm pretty sure we haven't."  
"Then how do you know me?"  
"I heard a lot about you from your friends." I motioned to the other 4 behind me (Team 9 + Ino).  
A smug expression then formed on his face. "I'm pretty sure they told you how awesome I am." He sounded so sure of himself. "Well what did they say about me?"

"Don't get too cocky Naruto." Sakura said smartly.  
"She's right you know, Naruto. Any time soon, your cockiness will grow big compared to your small-"  
"DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SAY IT SAI!", embarrassment and anger clearly evident on his face.  
Everyone in the room snickered at the blond. I could even see Tsunade-sama trying to hide her laugh behind her hand.

Naruto then turned to me once again. "Well they told me you were the biggest hokage-wannabe in the village."  
Blue lines appeared under his eyes and his head fell in depression, little mushrooms grew on his back as he huddled in the corner of the room. "Gee. Thanks a lot guys.."  
"You are VERY welcome, Naruto!" Lee flashed him a thumbs-up and a twinkle in his teeth when he grinned, or what I learned was his "Good Guy Pose".  
"I wasn't serious, Bushy-brows!" Naruto exclaimed.  
_'__Hihihi bushy-brows.'_

Sai was "nice" enough to introduce himself and Naruto to me. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. My name is Sai, and the one with the small balls, here, is Naruto." "SAI!" Naruto bristled. The girls giggled in their hands and I could once again see Tsunade-sama, trying to cover up her laugh as well.  
The blond then looked at me again and his eyes widened. He leaned close into me and started examining me from head to toe. "Umm.. N-naruto? What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"NARUTO!" Suddenly, three large bumps grew on his head, thanks to the three fuming girls in the room. "It's not polite to stare!" "Especially if it's a girl!" "And don't look at her like she's some kind of bowl of ramen!" They snapped at him but he didn't acknowledge them. He continued on staring at me like I'm some sort of ghost.

"Are you even list-"  
"Are you sure we've never met before?" he inquired.  
"Absolutely, positively sure."  
"Then how come you look so familiar?"

Everyone stopped in the middle of what they were doing and stared at Naruto, then at me.  
"Naruto, we never met her before. She's new here."  
"Are you sure? Take a closer look." Then all eyes were on me. I fidgeted uncomfortably from the piercing stares and analytical gazes they were giving me. Then their eyes widened in realization.  
"Yukue?"{2} 

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

===================================================================================

{1} Mind? Yamanaka? Get it? Hahaha…. No? .. okay..  
{2}**Yukue** came from the Japanese word "**_Yukue_****_fumeisha_**" or missing person. (hehe I hope you guys get why I chose that name, after you read the explenation)

_-_

Hey guys! It's Ki-chan! :)

Gomenosai, reader-chan! I haven't updated sooner. I actually had this saved on my phone but I decided to make it longer before posting. Then I realized "Hey! It's too long so why don't I just half it into two chapters and instead of 1?" And so I did :P

So I'll explain the reason why I chose the name "Yukue" and why I added her to the story. Well I will only mention her in a few chapters for the sake of my point: the entire reason why I added her in the first place was to show or remind you, Reader-chan, that you are in a whole different world/universe. An AU if you will (well something like that).  
I am pretty sure you know about or at least heard of an alternate-dimension or something of the sort. Right? And in nearly every (-ish) world, there is "always" or usually a person who is like you or exactly like each person. Basically another "you" but in a different world and with a different personality. I'm basing this story off of that idea. So the reason why they think you're their friend, Yukue (who died), is because you technically are her (and because of the title and summary about the different "worlds") but from a different world. If you know that filler episode of Sakura falling off a cliff and loosing her memories and later in the end, Ino finds out that she's not from that world but from another? (Sorry if I spoiled you) Yeah it's basically the same conept. ^_^ hahaha sorry it's such a long explanation. I sincerely hope you guys get what I'm trying to say. If you don't, then message me and I'll do me best to elaborate it more for you. ^_^

Anyway.. ARIGATOU! You guys are the best for reading (and continuing to read) this story! Continue 'til the end!

Tell me what you think and

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	11. Chapter 11: Of Bbq's and Celebrations

"Yukue?"  
"You see? Doesn't she look exactly like Yukue?"  
"Who are you talking about?" The hokage then took the moment to clear her throat, which thankfully snapped everyone's attention back to her.

"Ahem. She is not who you think she is." Tsunade-sama leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She then started to explain for the hundredth time today, "This girl was found by Team 8 and she woke up in the hospital with amnesia. She doesn't remember anything at all and we are currently trying to do whatever we can to help her. So I don't think she is Yukue. Based from my records, the person who you're currently thinking about died 4 years ago."  
The faces of the others in the room are the definition of sadness.  
I felt terrible. It must be hard for them to have their hopes up about their missing friend only for it to come crashing down. "I'm sorry I'm not the person you are looking for." They smiled at me. "It's fine. You just look exactly like her, it's hard for us not to get our hopes up." Naruto tried to reassure me.

Naruto faced the hokage. "Granny Tsunade, you said that she has amnesia?"  
"Yes I did. We believe it came from the amount of blood loss from her stab wound and that bump she has on her head."  
Naruto, along with the others, nodded their heads in understanding. "What methods have you tried doing?" the Hyuga prodigy questioned.  
"I tried using the Mystical Hand Technique." Sakura piped up.  
"Yeah and my dad tried going into her mind as well."  
"I'm assuming none of those methods worked." I shook my head to confirm Tsunade's suspicion.

Lady hokage sighed. "Well these things take time. Which reminds me", Tsunade opened her desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. "In the meantime, you will be staying here, in the village. I'll be paying for your living expenses until you're able to apply a job and earn your own money."  
"This is great! Another friend will be added to the group!"  
"You're allowing me to join you guys?" I questioned them. They all grinned at me. "Of course! The more the merrier!" I smiled brightly at them in happiness. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." Joy filled up in me.

Tsunade-sama handed me the envelope. "Now here are the keys to your new home, the address, and a few papers. There is also some money as well for necessities." I took the envelope and hugged her. "Thank you so much for doing this for me." Happy tears spilled down my face. I am extremely grateful for these people. They're really going out of their way to help me.  
Tsunade hugged me back then she released me after a minute.

"So everything is settled then." "Yes and she could hang out with us!" Tenten exclaimed happily. I nodded my head at them with a smile. "That's good! So whatever you need, or questions you have, go directly to your friends or ask me."  
"Ok. But there's a tiny detail we haven't sorted out."  
"And what is that?"  
"A name." I said. "I don't want to be called "Girl with Amnesia" the entire time until I found my memories."  
"For the mean time, since you don't remember your name, we will have to call you by something else. Do you have any preferences?" I shook my head, no.

"Ami?"

"Nope."

"Neria?"

"No"

"Heatu?"

"No"

"Oh I have the perfect name!

"Really? What is it?"

"Furgeson!"

"….."

".."

"NOT EVEN!"

"Hmm.. habbout Utari?"{1}  
"… Utari.." I tested the name on my tongue. "It's perfect! Thank you Sakura!"  
The pinkette smiled back.

"Ok so I have a place to stay, the things I need, and a name. I'm ready to go!" Tsunade nodded at me.  
"Utari, you are now hereby considered a citizen of Konoha, the Great Hidden Leaf Village. I wish you luck." "Thank you Hokage-sama." With these being said, I walked out of the room with my newfound friends.

*Grumble*  
"hihihi Naruto was that you?" The blond, blue-eyed boy put a hand to his stomach. "I must be really hungry. Habbout you guys?"  
A chorus of "Yeah" or "I'm starving as well" could be heard throughout the group.

"Habbout you, Utari?" Sai asked me. "I'm starving!"  
"Great! So where do you guys wanna eat?"  
"How about barbeque? Shikamaru and Choji might be there around this time. We could introduce them to Utari."  
"That's a good idea Ino!" Sai smiled at her. Ino's cheeks reddened a dark shade of red and a bashful smile appeared on her face. "T-thank you, Sai." Noticing her expression, I nudged her with my elbow and wiggled my eyebrows, motioning over to the oblivious Sai. Her eyes widened and her face grew even redder. "Utari!" She whisper-shouted. I snickered in my hand. '_I bet they'll end up together one day. It's too bad Sai is oblivious to Ino's feelings. I'm sure they'll be an adorable couple.'_

"We're finally here!" Tenten cheered.  
"Yes! I am starving!" Lee followed in after her.  
"And we're right on time too. There's Shikamaru and Choji, and it looks like they reserved a table for all of us. Perfect!" We rushed inside the bbq place and quickly made our way towards to boys.  
One of them has familiar black spiky hair, which he keeps tied is a high ponytail. Dark piercing brown eyes shown extreme laziness, but under all that (and I mean deep deep under that), I could see acute brilliance and intelligence. He wore a simple pair of studs which is similar to the ones Ino and the other boy were wearing. His black long-sleeved shirt is tucked under his green flash jacket with the metal plating of the forehead protector, sewn on his sleeve.

The other boy, who also had familiar spiky hair, was brown in color and was waist-length, had noticeable red swirl marks on his cheeks and under his eyes, which displayed kindness. He had a robust physique and he sports a red suit with plated armor covering some parts of his body. He wore a similar flak jacket to the one of the other spiky haired boy along with the same studs.

"Hey guys!"  
"Naruto! You guys! What you so long?" The chubby boy questioned.  
"Oh c'mon Choji! Don't act like you've been here for hours."  
Who I assumed was Shikamaru, smirked at the ever-annoyed Naruto. "No but it is very troublesome to wait for everyone. Choji here was getting hungrier by the minute."  
"Well let's go get our grub on!" Ino grabbed Sai by the arm and dragged him all the way towards her seat.  
"C'mon Sai, you could sit next to me." Everyone snickered at her action while Sai looked at all of us in confusion. _'Sai you are so dense!'_

"Who's this?" I heard someone question.  
"Oh which reminds me. Utari, this is Shikamaru and Choji, my teammates." Ino pointed to the respective person as she said their names. "Shikamaru and Choji – Utari."

"I am assuming you are the new girl we heard a lot about from Lady Tsunade?" It came out more of a statement than a question.

"I guess so. Utari is my "temporary" name by the way." Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding. "Temporary huh?"  
"Yup!"  
"Welcome to the group, Utari-chan!" I grinned at Choji. "Thank you!"

Greetings were exchanged and we finally sat down on our respective seats.  
"Hey! Where's Team 8?" "Oh they weren't able to make it because they're currently out on a mission." "That's a shame. I want Utari to officially meet the squad that found her in the training field." With that said, my thoughts suddenly drifted to the boy who I first met. His piercing eyes, messy hair, the cute red triangle cheek marks..  
I felt Sakura nudge my side. "Reckon someone from that squad gave you all those flowers?" she whispered soft enough that only I could here. But that didn't really work out because as soon as those words escaped her lips, the girls present in the table leaned close to us and started to whisper as well.  
"What flowers?" and an "Are we taking about a secret admirer here?" Came out of the other girls.  
"Thanks Sakura..." she laughed nervously in response. "Hehe sorry."  
"Now back to the topic, what flowers are we talking about here?" Ino questioned. Sakura then happily- and to my embarrassment and displeasure- explained to the females, "Well fortunately for Utari, here, when she was admitted to the hospital, for about a week or so, a "secret admirer" would send her flowers everyday."

A chorus of soft coo's and "aww's" came from the other females. I hid my beet-red face in my hands. "We don't know who it is. No one knows. Not even the other nurses nor the receptionist know wo did it."  
Tenten had a thinking face on. "So he could've snuck in somehow, or he could've entered through the window. Wait a minute. Ino do you know anyone who bought flowers from your shop everyday for a week?" Ino put her hands under her chin and looked to be thinking really hard. "No I don't think there was anyone who bought from us consecutively for onewhole week… which means.." The girls' eyes widened in realization. I didn't have any clue what was going on. "What? What does it mean?"

"It means, Utari, those flowers that you have been receiving, since it didn't come from my flower shop, we're guessing your "secret admirer" has been freshly picking those flowers for you everyday!" Excited squeals escaped their lips.

"Hey. What are you guys whispering about?" Naruto's spiky blond hair popped up in the middle of our group. "Nothing!" We suddenly jumped apart. '_Thank goodness Naruto intervened. I couldn't take any more of their squeals.'_  
"C'mon guys! It's a good time to celebrate and eat barbeque! We're adding another friend to the group!" Choji's words snapped me back to the conversation.  
"Yes! Let us have a youthful celebration in welcoming our new youthful friend, Utari!"  
I smiled gratefully at each and every one of them. "Thank you guys so much. No words can explain how grateful I am to you guys."  
"Cheers!"  
A chorus of loud "Cheers!" echoed around the group as we raised our glasses in the air and clinked them together.

After taking a sip of the delicious juice (since Lee couldn't drink alcohol), the night progressed on and so did the laughter and conversations. I looked around at our table. Sakura, Neji, and Tenten were having their own discussion, while Choji was stuffing his face full of barbeque, not minding anything that's happening around him. Naruto and Lee were having some sort of rivalry talk and Shikamaru and Sai were having their own conversation, while Ino was still trying her useless attempts to catch Sai's attention. I smiled at them happily.

_'I'm grateful to these people. Not only are they doing everything they can to help me, but also they give me another reason to be happy. I can start fresh from here. A new life with new friends and new memories that could fill the void.'_

-  
~Meanwhile~  
In the Hokage Mansion, 3 pairs of footsteps echoed through the corridors of the great building. Knocking on the door, they were signaled to enter the office of the great Lady Hokage. Serious expressions were on every one of their faces.  
The hokage then put the papers she was holding, down on the table and folded her hands on the tabletop.  
"So what have you discovered about our new friend?"  
The 3 leaders of the great clans Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi, stood in front of her desk, troubled and stressed looks on their faces.  
They turned seriously to her. "You were right about what you had said earlier, Lady Tsunade."

She nodded her head in understanding, leaned back on her chair, crossed her arms in front of her, and closed her hazel eyes in deep thought. She nodded her head. "So I was right after all. Her amnesia isn't normal. It didn't come from any natural causes like blood loss."  
"No."  
"Then what do you think is the reason for all of this?"  
"We believe that there is something going on entirely. A greater power might be at work here."  
"What are you trying to say?"

The three leaders gave heavy sighs.

"Something might be blocking us from unlocking her memories."

~0~0~0~

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

_~0~0~0~0~_

{1}_Utari_ is the Japanese word meaning one's fellow man; kin; comrade.

~0~0~0~0~

Hey Reader-chan! It's me, Ki-chan! :3

So this is the other half of the chapter I was talking about. I hope it's ok.

_Arigatou__ for continuing to read this story._

Tell me what you think and

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	12. Chapter 12: Apartment

It was about 8:53pm by the time we finished our barbecue and parted ways. I had a lot of fun getting to know the group. We talked, ate, and joked around all night. Like they say, "Time flies when you're having fun." And, well, it's true.

I am currently being escorted to my house by Tenten- seeing that she is the only girl who hasn't escorted me anywhere, unlike the other girls.

It was actually nice of her to volunteer to bring me. I asked Neji if he wanted to come with us because I saw a certain look in his eyes when she volunteered to bring me... well **I** saw it. The others were a bit too busy to notice- with their constant chatting and Ino's still failing attempt at trying to catch Sai's attention. Highlighted word: **trying**.

He didn't really seem to care. He was also too busy being absorbed into the conversations or making one of his great masterpiece paintings. I shook my head at the thought. _'Poor Ino.'_

Aside from that "couple", Neji and Tenten are just as hopeless as they are. Both being extremely dense. Although I would have to say it was fun seeing the slight flustered look on the Weapon's Mistress' face when I asked him to accompany us. I still can't forget that glint Tenten had that actually silently pleaded and tried to convince him to go as she waited for his answer. I swear I saw Neji blush a bit. Too bad he was too oblivious to notice her feelings for him and I bet he feels the same way but just doesn't want to acknowledge them. Probably because he's full of himself and his stupid "man pride". Well, he also had to head back home which is actually another reason why he couldn't come.

But the look in Tenten's eyes begged otherwise. _'I ship it! I swear this group has a lot of love interests and love triangles. But why do the guys have to be so fricking __dense __**and**__ oblivious__?'_

I sighed. _'Oh well. It can't be helped.'_

Tenten sighed beside me as well. I glanced at her and teasingly nudged her side. "Don't worry, Tenten. I'm sure he would've wanted to come."

"You really thi-" Realizing her mistake, she stopped herself mid-sentence before she could finish. "A-ah I-I mean.. Ehem" she awkwardly coughed out.

I laughed at her embarrassment.

"Haha. Don't worry, Tenten. You're secrets safe with me." I playfully put my pointer finger to my lips in a silent code and pretended to do the zip, lock, and key motion to tell her that I wouldn't tell a soul.

She sighed again in defeat. "Ok ok. You're right. I like him. Heck, I might even love him. But I guess that's too strong of a word." Taking a deep breath, she looked at the ground helplessly.

"It's fine Tenten. I promise I won't tell a soul."

She smiled at me gratefully. "Arigatōu, Utari." I smiled back. I then looked at the sky thoughtfully, my pointer finger tapping my chin in a thinking position. "But if you think about it. Everyone probably knows."

"What?! Seriously?!" She looked hysterical. Poor Tenten doesn't even know that she is very obvious when it comes to "poor, oblivious Mr. Hyuga".

"Oh c'mon Tenten. It's very obvious. Everybody probably knows by know."

She groaned, "Ugghh! You gotta be kidding me!"

"Nope. Sorry Tenten but it's true. You're pretty obvious when it comes to Neji or anything related to him."

She smacks her forehead repeatedly, chanting a "Stupid,stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid" with every hit.

I tried stopping her before she could do any more damage to her poor brain, which I think is already pretty much destroyed with the amount of thoughts that's running through her mind.

"Tenten-" _'Great. She shifted from her hand to banging her head against a wall.'_

"Tenten-"

"Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

"Tenten. I'm sure-"

"Oh gosh. I bet he noticed and probably thinks I'm really stupid right now."

"Tenten!" I FINALLY got her attention.

"I'm sure he didn't notice. I haven't known you guys for a day yet and I'm pretty sure that he's as dense as you are when it comes to each other's feelings.

"Yeah I guess.. Wait- what do you mean "I'm dense"? and "each other's feelings"? For one thing, I'm NOT dense!"

I chuckled at her obliviousness. "Yeah that's one thing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She screamed.

I sighed. "Trust me Tenten. You are a lot of thing and dense is one of them. You'll find out what I mean in time." I answered cheekily and winked teasingly at her.

She groaned at me. "Utari!" She said for sighed for the hundredth time today when she talks (or thinks) about the Hyuga. "Besides, I don't even know if he likes me or not. Or-or even sees me as more than just a friend, much less a sparing partner. Wait- no. It's Neji. He doesn't **have **emotions."

I giggled at her last comment._ 'Poor Tenten. She had no clue the amount of times I caught him looking or merely glancing in her direction. Or the slight blush on his face when she smiles or giggles.'_

I laughed at her. "You have no idea."

"Fine", she pouted. Looking in front of us, she stopped abruptly and pointed towards a building. I stopped and looked up at my "new" home .

A gigantic building of red and is about less than a half of the height of the Hokage Mansion ('Yes I believe the Hokage Mansion is that big.'), lay in the middle of the village. Green planks of wood outlined each floor and only one of the rooms has its own balcony. 'Whoever got that apartment is lucky.'

I smiled. _'Just one look and I love this building already. It immediately feels like a place where I can call home.'_

"Hey!" I jumped a bit, startled by her small burst of realization.

"Why? What's wrong?", I questioned.

"Naruto lives in this building."

"Really? That's aweso-" Before I could finish my sentence (happy that I knew at least one person in the entire building), we heard a distant "Utari! Tenten! Hey guys!"

With our clearly confused faces, we looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice.

I looked up at the building and spotted an extremely hyper blond waving his arms wildly and excitedly from **the** balcony of the top most of the building, obviously trying to catch our attentions._ 'Dang.. Naruto got the balcony.. Lucky duck.'_

I heard Tenten sigh from beside me. "See? What did I tell ya. Naruto lives here too."

"That's great! At least I know one person in the building."

"Yeah! And besides that, when we visit Naruto or his team gets him for missions, we'll be able to visit you cause you guys will be in the same building."

I grinned at her excitedly. "C'mon. Let's go see Naruto before his arms dislocate from his shoulders and he falls of the building."

"Bummer. I would want to see that happen." I heard- or that's what I thought I heard Tenten say.

We looked up at Naruto, who, by the way, is still waving his arms like crazy, and waved back at him as a sign that we'll pass by his apartment.

Darting inside the building, we ran up the stairs to visit the blond knucklehead.

•~ Little While Later ~•

I collapsed to the ground in a disheveled mess. Tenten stood calmly beside me and waited for a minute to let me catch my breath. _'Damn ninjas.'_

During the small get together to welcome me into their group, they explained to me everything about their country, their village, and everything to know about ninjas. I was deeply intrigued and awed by their words and couldn't get enough of the topic. I simply absorbed everything in._ 'Man I wish I was a ninja.'_

I finally stood up and leaned on the wall for support. "I really need to work out."

Since my wound is still tender (and Lady Tsunade and Sakura told me I couldn't do any exhausting activity that could possibly reopen the skin) I only jogged up the stairs. But that didn't make it any less tiring. However, considering the fact that I just got released from the Konoha hospital, I decided to blame it on me not exercising my body when I was there.

Tenten chuckled. "You know, it's easier and faster for us to travel on the roofs or climb the building."

I looked at her like she was a madman. "Then why did we have to run up the stairs?! It would've saved us a lot of time, ya know!"

She smiled at me sheepishly and scratched her cheek. "Hehehe."

I looked at her blankly. "You know what? I won't even bother asking anymore."

We continued our walk towards Naruto's apartment in comfortable silence.

Stopping in front of the green-colored door, I raised my hand to knock, but it swung open before I could do so. A happy Naruto was seen with a cheerful smile and dressed in his sleeping clothes. He looked like he was just about to go to bed and based from his wet hair, he also looked like he recently got out of the shower.

"Tenten! Utari!"

"Hey Naruto!" I smiled at him. "You look like you were just about to go to bed. Sorry to disturb you."

He laughed good-naturedly. "Don't worry about it. I saw you guys walking towards the apartment building and I wanted to say "hi". Why were you guys walking here anyway?"

"Apparently, I'll be living here. We're gonna be building-mates, Naruto!" I exclaimed excitedly.

A big grin lighted up his face. "That's great Utari!"

Tenten took the opportunity to join in on the conversation. "Besides, we didn't want you to fall off your balcony. Actually, erase that. Utari didn't want you to fall of your balcony. I wanted otherwise. Besides, you looked like a madman up there."

The blond boy huffed at her in annoyance and I laughed at their small banter. Naruto decided to change the subject. "Anyway, which apartment are you staying in?"

I quickly took out the papers from the envelope Tsunade gave me and showed it to Naruto who quickly read its contents, trying to find my apartment number.

"This is great! You're directly under my apartment."

"Cool!"

Then I suddenly looked at him questioningly as a thought came into my head. "Wait. Naruto? If we all left at the same time, how did you arrive here before us?"

"The roofs." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in earth.

I sighed heavily, muttering a "Damn ninjas" under my breath.

"Well are you guys done yet? I have to go. It's getting pretty late."

"What's the rush? Are you meeting up with a certain someone?" I teasingly nudged her side with my elbow and wiggled my eyebrows playfully. Her cheeks visibly reddened and she looked at me with annoyance. 'I love teasing her.'

"Utari!" She whined out. I giggled at her again. Naruto just looked clueless. I mentally sighed. _'Boys are so dense.'_

"I'm just teasing you. Anyway, you're right. It's already 9:46. Well, goodnight Naruto!"

"Night guys! See ya tomorrow!" And with those words, Naruto closed the door and Tenten and I headed towards my new awaiting apartment. 

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

===================================================================================

Hey Reader-chan! It's Ki-chan!

GOMEN NE! I haven't updated the story. Truth be told, my exams are coming soon and i really need to concentrate on my grades :'(  
Besides that, I had writer's block. Sucks, I know.

ARIGATOU! You guys are the best for commenting. I absolutely love it when you guys comment and review on the story! ^_^ Makes me feel all warm and happy inside. No, just kidding! :P But I seriously love reading your comments!

I wanted to make this longer but I had writer's block and I had a bad transition so I decided to make it into two chapters!

**_KEEP READING AND COMMENTING!_** Hopefully I keep writing and won't have bad writer's block! ^_^

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected

Konoha's Weapons Mistress and I stood in front of a similar green door to Naruto's. However, compared to his door, mine looked freshly painted.

_'I assume Lady Tsunade asked for the apartment to be cleaned.'_

I was right.

Once I opened the door, the fresh smell of flowers hit me. My apartment looked spotless; not a speck of dust in sight. Yet the lingering smell of paint remained in the air.

Cream colored walls surrounded us and a vase full of beautiful flowers lay on the table. No other accessories (besides a couch, a table, and other necessities) decorated the plain looking room.

It was plain but it was ok.

This only signifies that I can make new memories here. New memories with my new friends and a new life.

Even if it was plane, the apartment was huge. It was complete with a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the main room. _'Wow Tsunade-sama sure overdid it. Just a bit. But I love it.'_

"Wow." A low whistle was heard in Tenten's direction. "Nice apartment."

"Yeah." I nodded, agreeing with her. I grinned happily. "It's perfect!"

"A bit plane though. You should decorate and refurnish it soon."

"Don't worry, I will." I turned to her and smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

"No problem and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With a wave, a hug, and a "goodnight", Tenten left and I closed the door behind her.

After exploring more around the apartment, I spotted a clock on the wall which read 10:07pm."It's getting pretty late, I should probably go to bed. I'll explore more tomorrow", I yawned out.

I stretched my arms and walked towards the biggest bedroom in the apartment, which I assume is the master bedroom.

I crept into bed and closed my eyes, willing for sleep to take over.

...

...

...

.

Didn't work. I'm still wide awake. I tossed and turned in my oh so comfortable mattress but no matter which comfortable position I make, I still couldn't fall asleep. _'I wonder why.'_

I decided to just lay in bed and do nothing whatsoever.

I stared up at the pale-colored ceiling. I don't know what made me do it, but after a few moments, my thoughts suddenly drifted to the mysterious boy.

From his shaggy hair, to his red marked cheeks, mesmerizing eyes, the scent of a forest that hit me when I accidentally crashed into him..

I shook my head to try to rid of the thoughts of the boy so I could get a chance to have a peaceful slumber.

Didn't work.

I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Besides bonking my head on my hand (or the wall), I tried using other ways to clear my mind but there was no improvement. I just got irritated and frustrated with my lack of rest.

I attempted to adjust my sleeping positions.

Didn't work.

I tried taking a shower since I found one of the only extra pairs of clothes in the empty closet. 'I think Tsunade-sama really wants me to look for my own clothes.'

Didn't work.

I found a carton of milk, along with huge stocks of food, in the fridge and in cabinets.

Didn't work.

_'__Okay Lady Tsunade really outdid herself. But it's weird that she gave me more food than clothes. I really need my own style for clothes. Maybe when I finally meet the rest of Konoha 12, Squad 8, I can ask all the girls to escort me to go for clothes shopping.'_

Other methods I tried had the exact same result.

Didn't work.

_'Okay I officially give up.' I sighed and restlessly got out of my comfortable bed which, by the way, is calling out for me to sleep. 'Shut up bed. I can't sleep.'_ I huffed in my mind.

So when worse comes down to worst, I decided to take a walk in the refreshing Konoha night.

I strapped on the ankle-length ninja sandals I received when I was released from the hospital and walked out the door, locking it behind me in the process.

Breathing in the cool fresh night air of Konoha brought a sense of serenity to me and I visibly relaxed.

'Today was such a long day.' Stepping foot in the calm quiet streets of the village, I took this time to reflect on today.

_'__First, I was released from the hospital after a week of being trapped, forced to rest, and was kept a close eye on 24/7. How do I know I was constantly being watched, you ask? Well, they never really gave me a break when I was there._

_I swear, at times I saw the shadows move and I __**know **__the bathroom door didn't open and close on its own because of the wind._

_I guess ninjas have to use the toilet too. When they gotta go, they gotta go; I can't control their bladders. Besides, this was during the time they hadn't accepted me in yet. Although that didn't stop me from having mini heart attacks when things that don't normally move on their own, __actually__ move.'_

I walked down the extremely lengthy sets of stairs and pushed open the building door. It took me a while but my random craving for a walk helped me reach down the stairs.

The chilly night air of Konoha immediately hit me and I hugged myself as an attempt to keep myself warm. My thoughts then went back to today's events.

_'__So, after I was officially released from the hospital (and __THANK GOODNESS__ I finally was), Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou escorted me to see Lady Tsunade. Her, Shizune-san, and Tonton welcomed me into the village with open arms (with a bit of hostility).'_

I continued to walk down the streets mindlessly, not having a single clue where I was going. The only thing I followed as I walked around the village was the gut feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.

_'__Then, they introduced me to Inoichi-sama who brought me to his division building where I met Shikaku-sama and Chõza-sama. There, all three of them took a look inside my mind. Sadly, the trio regretfully informed me that no positive results or improvement came out of it. Actually... no results came out of it whatsoever._

_When it was over, I met Ino escorted me back with the Hokage in the Hokage Mansion. I happily met Team 9 on the way there who decided to come along with us.'_

I took random turns and passed random buildings, still replaying everything that happened today.

_'__Once we reached the Hokage Mansion, I "eventfully" met Naruto, Sai, and the rest of Team 7, who I was informed is the second version of Team 7.'_

I coincidentally passed by the barbeque shope we recently ate in and the events of what happened inside flashed through my mind.

_'__I soon met with the rest of Konoha 12- apparantly minus Squad 8. Too bad they weren't there. I was really eager to meet them ever since they found me and everything. We had a small celebration over barbecue to invite me over to their group.'_

I resumed to absentmindedly walk around the village, going no where in particular. I am well aware that I might- and most probably will- get lost and I didn't really care. My gut feeling, the only thing leadingme anywhere in this gigantic village.

_'__In the bbq shop, they informed me that the original Team 7 "broke apart" with Kakashi-san as their sensei or leader. However, no one told me why they broke up. All I heard was the name Sasuke before Naruto, Sakura, and some others- okay, most of them- went into a depressed state in the depressed corner._

_What exactly happened with them? I'm curious. My guess is, based from the depressed and longing look in the others faces, this Sasuke person left them and they clearly have mixed feeling for and about him.'_

I continued to pass by buildings, fields, and trees. Nothing but today racing through my mind as I reflected on everything.

I stretched my arms and yawned loudly. _'Gosh I'm tired. Today was so eventful. All these things happened all in __**one**__ day. I wonder what it will be like living here every single day. Each day will be as exhausting- if not- more- memorable than the last.'_

I stopped in front of a field.

A gigantic terrain bordered by a forest came into view and an old tree sat in the middle of the clearing with patches of flowers growing around it. A feeling of familiarity washed over me as I continued to stare at the pasture.

"This place looks vaguely familiar."

Not having enough energy to contemplate over it, I went on with my walk.

Ironically, I went on this walk to try and clear my head of everything.. mostly **him **though. But, this only got me thinking of everything that happened today.

_'__After everything, I was being lead by Tenten to my apartment. There we met with Naruto... again.. and I finally got to see my apartment. After Tenten left and I looked around the apartment more, I went to be. No, sorry, I __**TRIED**__ going to bed. And because I couldn't, here I am now; mindlessly strolling around the village and being completely bored out of my mind... and probably lost too.'_

_'__Gosh I'm tired. But if I'm being honest with myself, I have to say today was a fun day; meeting the most of Konoha 12 and being accepted into their group. I love all of them even if I have just met them. They made me feel accepted and with the way they act, I feel like I've known them for years. I'm grateful for everything they have done and that they are all willing to help me.'_

I was too deep in my thoughts as I rounded the corner, accidentally colliding with a wall. My eyes fluttered open when I didn't feel the pain I had expected and I stared right into an all too familiar pair of mesmerizing coal black eyes.

A rumbling feeling accompanied by a low chuckle snapped me out of my thoughts causing my to face to flush more than it already is.

A deep hypnotizing voice rang through my ears and lingered in my head.

"We should stop meeting like this."

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

_Hey Reader-chan! It's me, Ki-chan! :3_

So this is the other half of the chapter I was talking about. I hope it's ok.

_Arigatou__ for continuing to read this story._

Tell me what you think and

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	14. Chapter 14: Strolls and a Dog

"We should stop meeting like this."

Flushing and completely beet red, I tried to calm down my nerves and racing heart. It beat so loud I'm a little surprised he couldn't hear it pounding like crazy.

His face was only a few inches from mine; I could feel his warm breath fan across my face, see his striking canine eyes up-close, the distinct triangle marks on his cheeks, and catch the whiff of trees and the forest coming from him. A flashback of the last time we were caught up in this position caused an involuntary blush to spread across my face once more.

Embarrassed on the unexpected encounter, I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly got up, stumbling in the process.

"I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention. It's my fault- I wasn't watching where I was going."

Kneeling on all fours, I continued rambling on and on.

He chuckled lightly. "No, no, it's fine. It's my fault really. I was too much in a hurry and I didn't see you." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up from the ground.

I smiled reassuringly at him. "It's fine."

I stood up from the ground and held out my hand for him. Looking at it, then at me, he enclosed my hand in his. It's small in comparison yet it felt like it fit perfectly.

Cheesy as it is, I felt that way.

I pulled him up and helped him stand. He was a bit woozy from the collision but he seemed fine.

When he finally was able to regain his balance, his eyes met mine. I was all too aware of my surroundings and how my hand was still enclosed in his.

"Thanks", he told me for helping him. "You're welcome." After that, it seemed like a lifetime before I decided to break the silence.

I suddenly realized he was still holding my hand. "Ehem...", I coughed out awkwardly.

"Oh sorry." He immediately took his hand away from mine and or a moment, I suddenly felt cold and I missed the heat of his palm. I quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. He once again rubbed his neck.

"No, please. I'm actually the one who's supposed to be thanking you."

He looked up from the ground to me questioningly. "Why?"

"Well for one, thank you for breaking my fall.. twice." I thought I saw a light bulb turn on in his head.

"Oh that's right." He said in realization and a hint of pink tinted his tan face as he recalled our first meeting.

I shook my head and giggled behind my hand. '_He sure is forgetful_.'

"So we haven't formally met. I'm Kiba." I grinned a wolfishly at me, sharp canines, glinting in the moonlight.

"I'm Utari. It's nice to officially meet you Kiba." After the introduction, he went straight to the point, not asking me any other question.

"So how are you doing?" I smiled at his concern.

"I'm fine. I'm actually doing pretty well."

"But.." He said, as if he knew what I was going to say next. "You're memory loss, am I right?" I'm pretty sure he- and along with him team- was already informed about my condition. '_Word sure spreads fast_.'

"Yeah. Utari is just my temporary name until I find out when my memories return. But you needn't worry about me. I'm fine really and I made new friends who have my back and are willing to support me."

He smiled at my optimism.

Truth be told, I still feel bad about it. I don't think anyone who suffered- or will ever suffer- from amnesia will ever live life without feeling terrible about it. But despite everything, I'm trying my best to be optimistic.

"So what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

He chuckled in a way that made my cheeks warm. '_Thank goodness it's dark or I would've died from embarrassment._' "I think the question should be, what are **you** doing out here at night? You have gotten lost but you're lucky to have bumped into me. I could guide you home if you want."

I smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to have a midnight stroll to get my mind of things."

He nodded in understanding. "How about you?"

"Well my team and I just got back from a mission and my pal, Akamaru, decided to run off to god knows where. I was looking for him when I accidentally bumped into you."

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that!" I laughed sheepishly.

"No need to worry. It was an accident."

We smiled at each other.

It felt like forever- yet in reality, a few minutes- when I decided to brake the silence.

"So you said you're looking for Akamaru?"

"Oh right, I am." He said as he snapped out of his thoughts. Realization seemed to dawn on him when I mentioned the situation he's in.

"I believe he's your gigantic dog if I seem to recall."

He grinned at me. "More like my best friend. He's been my partner ever since he was given to me when I was little. Since then, I've been training him to be the best ninken he can be. We're basically inseparable." I nodded in understanding.

"Need some help looking for him?" I smiled at him kindly. With all the times he helped me, it's my turn to return the favor. '_After all, this is the least I can do for the things he's done for me_.'

"Aren't you tired? I mean it's pretty late. "

"I'm fine; I can't sleep and there's a high chance I might get lost in this huge village if I keep wandering around. So I might as well help you find him."

He nodded in agreement. "Sure, why not? I could use the company."

We walked side by side in the cold Konoha night as we looked for the lost Akamaru.

Truth be told, I had a great time.

We talked and laughed all night. Even if this was the first time I officially met him, I felt like I knew him for years- with the conversation we had. We talked about different topics and I got to learn more about the strange brunette.

After he agreed to let me accompany him, we looked everywhere we- mostly he- could think of.

We walked along side each other, the moonlight, the only source of light that lit up the village. The stars twinkled brightly from the heavens and the soft breeze blew on the leaves of trees, making them sway to its soundless tune. It was a full moon and the sky was cloudless, allowing us to see all the twinkling stars clearly. '_In all the days I've spent here, I've never seen the village so at peace. Even if I looked from the hospital window.'_

To say the least, I found this particular night romantic- well, for couples that is.

_'I can't believe I'm thinking these thoughts when he's right next to me._' I sulked in my head. _'How embarrassing.'_

The shaggy-haired brunette walked calmly beside me, however I could see a hint of panic due to the fact that the gigantic white dog is still missing.

"Hey Kiba?" I broke him out o his thoughts.  
"Yeah?"  
"You must really care for Akamaru, don't you?"  
He gently smiled at me. "Ofcourse, he's my best friend."  
I smiled back at him. "Don't worry, we'll find him." I tried reassuring him, after all he looked like he needed it. '_He must care about Akamaru a loot to be this worried about him.'_  
"Thanks Utari."

We walked around the village in comfortable silence and enjoyed each others company, occasionally calling out Akamaru's name, hoping he would come running from the corner, and sparingly chatting from time to time. After a while, silence enveloped us once more.

"Umm.. I would like to thank you again. Ya know, for saving- finding- me." I said sheepishly. Although no matter how many times I thank him, it wouldn't even come close to the amount of gratitude I feel. _'Yup that's me. Eternally grateful.'_

"Don't worry about it. I'm just happy you're okay now."

The breeze swept by us, whipping our and clothes around us. I shivered a little from the chill. The clothes I wore seemed thinner than before and barely kept me from feeling the cold. I rubbed my arms to try and bring back some warmth in me.

**Didn't work.**

However, with my pathetic attempt at heat, Kiba must've noticed because I suddenly felt warmth flow back through me when he draped something over my shoulders. I looked at him in surprise.

He was now only wearing his fishnet shirt. I blushed a bit in embarrassment when I noticed it was a bit translucent and I could see faint outlines of his toned chest.

I looked at my shoulder and noticed his jacket. My blush deepened. I took it off and tried to return it back to him.

"I can't take this, you'll freeze." He laughed a bit at my statement. "Don't worry, I'm a ninja. A little weather like this won't bother me. It'll have to take a lot more than this to freeze me to death. Besides, you looked like you really needed it."

"But-"

"Uh-uh no buts. Just please accept it." I nodded at him gratefully. Truthfully, I really needed it. It was too cold for my liking and I thankful for the warmth his jacket provided. I decided to do as he says and put it on. The heat of his jacket and the forest smell it held quickly enveloped me and I smiled meekly. I involuntarily snuggled in the jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders tighter.

"So Utari..", he questioned, seemingly genuinely curious.

"How do you find Konoha so far?"

"I love it here. It's nice, peaceful and everyone is really friendly and is willing to help me regain my memories."

"That's good. So what happened these last few days? Anything interesting happen?"

I then began explaining to him everything that's happened this past week. From the meeting with the hokage, to the three clan leaders, and to meeting most of Konoha 12.

He listened intently to what I was saying. Despite everything, he is a brilliant listener; laughing occasionally at the mannerisms of his friends, and saying "ooh"s and "ahh"s in the appropriate situations.

"And then I bumped into you. And so here I am now, helping you look for Akamaru."

He nodded his head. "So what happened to you in the last few days? I'm sure it was interesting with your mission and all. How did that go?" I was genuinely curious. After all, he is a ninja and the life of a ninja is always interesting and exciting- well in my point of view.

He explained his team's mission and what he did to complete it. Unfortunately, Sunagakure, the Village Hidden by Sand, had a rogue ninja that was on the run for months. The Kazekage, who I found out was the leader of the Sand Village with the name of Gaara, a close friend of theirs, asked for Konoha's help since they were close allies. Lady Tsunade dispatched Squad 8 because they were known to be experts on tacking. To say the least, I was deeply impressed on the outcome of their mission. Not only did they successfully track down the rogue, but they also were able to capture him in less than a week and keep him behind bars. He also told me that the stole away is being interrogated and questioned as we speak.

"Wow you guys are amazing." I was impressed.  
He grinned at me and stretched and flexed before folding his arms behind his head. "Yeah I **am** pretty awesome."  
I rolled my eyes and giggled behind my hand at his ego. However, I failed to see him gaze at me as I did so. "Who knew you could get so cocky."  
He chuckled and I think my heart skipped a beat. Cheesy, I know. "Well I-" He stopped mid-sentence and seemed to sniff the air.

"Kiba? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" With the many conversations we had, I learned about his acute and impressive- if I do say so myself- sense of smell. He also told me that he mastered his nose and made the particular sense sharper than that of a ninja hound. I was beyond impressed and I think anyone who knows about it would be too.

I then questioned him why he didn't avoid clashing into me if his nose was so sharp. He merely rubbed the back o his neck sheepishly and told me that he was too much in a panic state about Akamaru to notice.

"Bark bark" I heard from a distance. "What is that?" I squinted my eyes and saw flash of white before something big and heavy jumped on top of me. "Oof."

A white dog came into view and started licking me like crazy. It actually tickled and I started laughing uncontrollably. Kiba's laughter could be heard beside me as well.

"Okay Akamaru, get off of Utari." Next thing I know, the weight of the hound was lifted and I was being pulled up from my place on the ground. I dusted myself and wiped my face clean off of the dog saliva.

"Are you alright?" He asked, still chuckling. "I'm sorry about him but he looks like he really likes you. You're lucky, he doesn't normally trust people so easily."

"It's alright. At least I got a little piece of information from my past; I was probably good with animals." I smiled at him and he returned it.

The wind blew gently, making our hair caress our faces and the falling leaves scatter to the ground. The moons brilliant light shown down on earth and it made our skin look paler in its glow. Clouds of random shapes floated by and, for a moment, it blocked out the luminous light and cast a shadow on earth. When the clouds floated by and the light returned, I wasn't looking at him anymore, but the ground.

He coughed to get my attention and I retuned my gaze to him, blushing in embarrassment. "It's getting pretty late. How about I guide you back to your apartment? You might get lost and I'm not taking that chance." I blushed a bit at his last statement. "Besides, who knows what would happen to me when Tsunade finds out." I giggled.

"Sure. Thankfully, this place looks familiar and if I recall, my apartment is not too far away from here." He escorted me back to my apartment building and we made small talk on our way there.

Akamaru walked on my right and Kiba on my left, flanking me on either side. From beside me, Akamaru whined out so I decided to rest my hand on his head and stroke his soft fur. On the other hand, Kiba's hand would occasionally brush against mine and I would feel tingle-like static shooting up my arm, every time causing my heart to speed up and my face to flush. _'When have I gotten so cheesy and blush-y?'_ I mentally shook my head at the thought.

A moment of silence broke between us and we simply enjoyed each others company. Nearing the apartment building, I momentarily glanced at the brunette ninja beside me; his shaggy brown hair fell over his face, the playful gleam in his piercing canine eyes, and the smile across his lips.

By the time we reached the tall building, I was finally able to shake my head off of those thoughts. We stopped right in front of the two entrance doors of the building.

I turned to face the boy beside me. "So this is it. Thanks again for everything, Kiba." A whine was heard beside me and I looked down at him apologetically. "You too Akamaru." He gave me a doggy grin and barked at me in approval. I laughed at him.

Kiba gave me a wolfish grin when I focused my attention back to him and I think my heart just skipped a beat. "No problem. Just remember, if you need anything, don't be afraid- or shy- to ask me."

I grinned at him again and tuned around to enter the building. But before I could open the doors, I quickly turned around and hugged him, muttering an "Arigatou." in his ear and left without another word.

I scrambled up the flights of stairs with my cheeks burning and an interesting shade of pink and I quickly entered my apartment and shut the door behind me. I pressed my back against the door and slid down to sit on the floor. I hugged my legs and buried my face in the cloth of my knees. _'I can't believe I just did that. He must think I'm a total idiot. I mean I just __**met**__ the guy.'_ His face flashed in my mind for a moment. I sighed. '_Oh well. What's done is done and I can't undo what I just did. Even if it __**is**__ embarrassing.'_

Heading towards my bedroom, I passed by a window that overlooked the beautiful village of Konoha. Although despite the exhaustion I felt, something caught my eye and forced me to stop and look.

_'Why's he still here?'_

There, still at the entrance of the building where I left him, stood Kiba, standing in the same position. _'Why isn't he moving?'_ And from where I stood on the how-many-eth floor of the building I saw a grin appear on the brunette's face. He looked down at Akamaru and seemed to say a few words I couldn't make out, which made Akamaru whine and bark at him.

After the gigantic dog's response, which got a good hearty laugh from Kiba, they sauntered away from the building. I, in turn, stepped away from the window and made my way back to my room, missing the grin, blush, and final glance Kiba sent me towards my apartment before he walked away.

Changing into a new pair o_f _sleeping clothes, I got into bed and reflected on the last few things that had happened today.. well, **just** happened. And with my final thoughts of the cocky, hyper, brown-haired boy, I finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

_"__Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."_

_Hey Reader-chan! It's Ki-chan!_

I deeply apologize that I didn't update sooner. I had a lot o things to do and I had writer's block. Sucks right? I'm slowly getting back on tack and I'm thinking of new ideas and how to make the story better. Gomennosai also because there's not much action and it doesn't seem fulfilling but I'll try to make it better in the next chapters! This is somewhat of a transition to the next chapters.. so yeah.

Anyways...

_Arigatou__ for continuing to read this story. PLEASE COMMENT! I 3 reading them!_

Tell me what you think and

_Comment, 3 (if ever), and continue reading :3_

**_HAPPY READING!_**

_P.S. All Rights Reserved to __**Kishimoto-sama!**__ ^_^_


	15. Chapter 15: The Konoha 12

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts when I stepped out of the bathroom, fully clean and dried. I looked at the old clock on the wall.

7:50am

_'Who could that be?'_

Quickly brushing my hair and leaving it in a preferable hairdo for today, I ran towards the door and peeped through the peep hole in the door. Striking spiky blond hair is the only thing seen and I immediately knew who was on the other side of the door.

Turning the knob, I opened it, revealing a grinning blonde."Hey Naruto!" I smiled. "What brings you here?" Smiling, he sheepishly rubbed his neck. "I just wanted to drop by to say "hi" and see how you are doing."

I smiled at him. _'How sweet of him.'_ "I'm fine, thanks. You wanna come in? I was just about to have breakfast."

He immediately lit up at the sound of breakfast and rushed inside the apartment.

I laughed at his eagerness and closed the door behind him.

I looked at him questioningly when I spotted him sitting down in one of the chairs of the dining table with chopsticks on each of his hands that seemed to have magically appeared out of nowhere. "Umm did you not eat Naruto?"

He looked sheepish and flushed in embarrassment. "A-ah n-no…?" Just then I had a feeling that he was just here for the food.

I sighed in exasperation. "Would you like some?"

"Yes please!", he said too eagerly. I sweat dropped at him.

I walked towards the kitchen drawer and opened it- tried to open it. Once I exposed the content, I found an overflowing amount of ramen. I stared at it for a few moments and sweat dropped.

_'Seriously? These people sure love ramen.'_

I quickly followed the instructions printed on the side of the cup and poured hot water in the contents. I put it aside and let it sit there for 3 minutes.

While that was happening, I turned back to look at Naruto who took it upon himself to express how hungry he was; banging his hands on the table while chanting "Food, food, food, food, food…"

I sighed at his childishness.

"Hey Naruto?" He stopped whatever he was doing and looked at me curiously. "Yeah?"

"Don't you have food in your apartment?"

"No", he said blankly.

I looked at him weirdly. "Why not?"

"Oh I was swamped with missions so I wasn't able to do the grocery, hence why I'm here."

_'So my theory was right.'_

"That's unfortunate."

"Yeah! And those missions weren't even good ones! I wanted an A or S-class mission, but all Granny Tsunade gave me were boring chores to do around the village", he sulked.

"But aren't you still a genin?" I questioned.

Spending time with them, I learned a lot about the village, their culture, and the people. I knew that you have to be at least a chūnin to take B or A-rank missions. Naruto is still a genin, hence why he can't go to any other missions that exceed D and C-rank missions.

"Yeah.." _'Great. Now he's in the depressed corner. Hey… I can make mushroom soup with the amount he's growing..'_

He then recovered rather quickly. "But I can handle myself! I'm strong enough to go on hard mission!"

I sighed. "And I'm sure Tsunade-sama knows that, but given your current rank, that's just not a plausible reason."

When I had enough of his sulking, I changed the subject back to food.

"So you weren't able to buy any food whatsoever?"

Hearing the word "food" seemed to snap him out of his gloom."Nope."

I sighed and shook my head, muttered an "I knew you were just here for the food." I narrowed my accusing eyes at him.

I bet he heard me because of the next thing he said, "But because you are such a nice person and a good friend, I knew you wouldn't let me starve to death in my apartment." He stretched and emphasized the "nice" and "good" words in the sentence. He flashed me a grin, but his eyes seemed to plead: "please don't let me starve."

I sighed, rolled my eyes at him, and shook my head.

"Wanna bet?" I spoke out, challengingly.

A look of horror embedded itself on his features and he gasped in terror.

I chuckled. "I'm just kidding. And, like you said, because I am such a "nice person" and "good friend", I wouldn't do that."

"You are evil." He told me.

I rolled my eyes and collected the cups of ramen, pushing one towards Naruto.

"Itadakimasu!" I slid into a chair and we both dug into our breakfasts.

We stayed in my apartment for a few hours, the whole time we were chatting and eating. Well Naruto did most of the eating; scarfing down bowl after bowl after bowl of the ramen from my overflowing drawer. I swear that boy might one day get a food coma or something.

By the time it was noon, I finally got him to stop eating and we left my apartment.

Naruto was nice enough to tour me around the village so that I may familiarise myself with the surrounding, seeing that I will get lost sooner or later. From the amount of time we spent together, I would gladly say that we got closer over the period of time.

It was nice to have him around. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and I'm starting to think of him as more than a friend..

A **_brother_** maybe?

Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto, but I can never see him in that way. _'Besides, I have a feeling that someone else has their heart set on him.'_

I grinned at the thought.

"What are you grinning about, Utari? You're starting to freak me out." A tick mark appeared on my forehead, but I shook it off and ignored the comment. _'Even if he is a doofus, I would never dream about interferring... I mean- assuming he has one...'_

I threw him a wide smile."Ohh nothing in particular. Just thinking about you and whether or not you have a special someone in mind."

"Special Someone? What do you mean special someone." I sighed heavily. _'Even if he is denser than a rock.'_

I was about to reply to him when he halted mid-stride and seemed to sense something nearby.

I was well-informed about each of their unique abilities. _'I spend too much time with them. They tried to squish all those information in a few hours. By the time we finished eating and went our separate ways, I had a mini-migraine.'_

Fortunately, all ninja's are trained to sense each other's chakra and I'm guessing that's what he's doing right now.

"What is it Naruto? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

I was caught by surprised when he suddenly grabbed my hand and ran towards the direction he was looking at. I tried to refrain from tripping with the speed he was running in.

That clearly failed when we ran around the corner and I accidentally tripped on a rock that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. _'Seriously what is it with me and tripping? This is getting really tiring!'_

I shut my eyes as a reflex. However, instead of feeling the impact of the hard ground, I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist, preventing me from the not-so-friendly contact with the earth.

"Wooaahhh. You okay?" I snapped my eyes open in surprise and stared at the familiar canine-like eyes of a brunette.

_'Why do I always fall whenever he's around?'_ I mentally questioned myself.

"Oh hey Kiba. Thanks breaking my fall again." I smiled sheepishly at him.

"No problem Utari!" He exclaimed whilst I straitened myself up.

I heard soft giggles from beside us and saw the girls gathered together and giggling into their hands whilst looking at us. I looked at them confusingly. _'Huh? What's gotten into them?'_

"Anyway…" I looked around me and saw that the finally completed Konoha 12- minus this Sasuke person- surrounded me.

"Sakura. Sai. Neji. Tenten. Lee. Shikamaru. Choji. Ino." I looked at each one of them as I stated their names. "What are you guys doing here?"

Just then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar boy, who was concealed in his clothing, look a little depressed. I swear I heard him say something along the lines of "I wasn't mentioned" or "No one remembers me" or something of the sort. The other familiar girl, who I believe is also a part of Team 8, laughed nervously and tried to comfort her depressed teammate.

"Well it's nice to see you too, Utari-chan." A blonde girl commented in sarcasm.

"I mean, of course I'm glad to see you guys and everything but we just saw each other yesterday."

Suddenly, all the air was knocked out of me and all I saw was something white and furry.

I laughed at the ticklish feeling I felt. "Akamaru! Hahaha stop it Akamaru! It tickles!"

The white ninken jumped off of me and I was once again being pulled up by his master. He chuckled in his low husky voice which seemed to make me melt inside. "He really likes you."

"It seems so. I'm glad." I smiled at him.

"Well we thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to everyone since you're now a part of the group!" A cotton candy haired pinkette answered for everyone.

"Aww thanks guys! I really appreciate it." I bowed to all of them with a smile.

"Do not worry about it, my new youthful friend!"

"Yeah Utari! We just want to help you feel more comfortable here." A chubby big-boned boy piped up from beside him while stuffing his face full of bottomless bbq chips.

I smiled at them.

"Utari! Come here! I wanna formally introduce you to Squad 8, the last team that makes up our entire group!" Naruto excitedly exclaimed. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a familiar dark haired girl look at him shyly, yet intently.

I mentally smirked to myself.

I stared at the seemingly familiar faces in front of me as they grinned- or looked at me… Shino- in greeting.

"This is Aburame Shino." Naruto pointed and put an arm on the shoulder of a boy who was fully covered by his clothing. He was fair-skinned ninja he seemed to be the tallest member out of the entire group. He wore a dark green jacket that hung down to his knees and a hood that covered his dark brown hair, a black shirt underneath the jacket that had a high, upturned collar, as well as dark sunglasses that make it impossible to see his eyes.

_'This guy sure is mysterious. I can't make out any of his features.'_

He gave me a small- almost like a nod- bow in greeting, his face still blank of expression. "It's nice to meet you, Utari-san. We were well-informed of your situation (_'Of course you were…'_) and we are willing to help in any way we can."

I smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you Shino-san." He nodded at me once again- a cue that the next person is about to be introduced.

Naruto turned towards the dark, long-haired girl from earlier. She had dark blue hair and fair skin. She possessed interesting lavender-tinted pupilless eyes that reminded me of Neji, hinting their relativity with each other. _'They're most probably cousins.'_

She had straight-cut bangs that covered her forehead and her hair reached her lower back, while shoulder-length strands frame her face. She donned an attire comprised of a loose fitting, lavender and cream hooded-jacket with lavender cuffs, navy blue pants and the usual back ninja sandals. Unlike the others, her black forehead protector was worn around her neck.

The hyperactive blonde introduced me to her. "This is Hyūga Hinata." He beaming blonde put a friendly relaxed arm around the girl whose face turned a new shade of red. I grinned at her. I swear I could feel steam coming out of her. _'Ha! I knew it! He does have a special someone!' _

Naruto looked at her closely from under his arm and I thought I heard an audible gulp coming from the poor Hyūga."Huh? Hinata-chan are you alright? Are you sick?" I sweat dropped at him.

_'Too bad he's too dense to notice anything. I swear the only thing in that boy's head is either ramen, jutsu's, or missions. There's no space in that head of his to fit anything else besides that, especially not noticing the obvious.'_

I sighed and mentally shook my head in shame.

He put a hand to her reddening forehead… and then she fainted.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji quickly caught her in his arms before she had a collision with the ground. _'Everyone's just falling today…'_

The male Hyūga glared at the oblivious blond who stared at everyone in confusion. "What?", he questioned. We all merely sighed at the knucklehead. _'Being 15 or 16, one would expect you to be of age to at least get a hint. Apparently not… Naruto sure does amaze me in more ways than one.'_

"How unyouthful of you Naruto."

"Naruto, you blond baka."

"Tsk. How troublesome."

"Idiot." I believe you could guess who said which.

"What? What did I say?" A mushroom sigh came out if my mouth. _'That baka is as clueless as ever. How he became this dense is beyond me.'_

"Anyway.. last but not least, this is dog breath Inuzuka Kiba."

I smiled at the brunette and he grinned back.

"Kiba."

"Utari."

We both greeted. While we were looking at each other, I failed to notice how the others seemed to be nudging each other in a "hinting" sort of motion. We suddenly seemed to snap out of our thoughts when someone cleared their throat.

The shaggy brunette boy took this opportunity to speak. "So Utari… It seems that every time we see each other, you just can't help but fall for me." He grinned.

Annoyed groans and the sound of people smacking their hands to their faces were heard all over the group, as well as Akamaru's complaining whine.

I rolled my eyes at him and laughed at the literal truth (_'Well it's true.'_), missing the strange looks the others sent me and also the look he gave me as I did so. With Hinata-chan being back to consciousness, the rest of Konoha 12 looked between us in confusion.

"Umm are we missing something here?", Konoha's proud weapons mistress pointed between both of us as the others nodded questioningly (with the exception of the extremely dense ones of course- namely Sai and Naruto).

"Y-yes it s-seems as if you b-both had a-already m-met before." The dark haired bluenette spoke up shyly.

"Well of course. After all, Squad 8 found me in the training field." I stated obviously.

"Oh and before I could forget-" I turned towards Shino-san, Hinata-chan, Kiba and bowed deeply to them. "Thank you so much for finding me. Who knows what could've happened to me if you hadn't." A certain gigantic white dog whined and nudged my hand. I giggled and grinned him. "You too, Akamaru. Thank you."

Before any one of their members could reply, they were cut off.

"That's not what she meant!" It clicked and I finally got what they were trying to say.

"Oh haha suma." I scratched my cheek nervously.

"Well if you must know-" The dog-lover cut me off "Utari and I bumped into each other last night."

"Literally." I stated. Tints of pink made its way to my face as I thought about last night. 'Kami, I hope no one noticed.'

"Bumped into each other?" One asked. "Last night?!" Another questioned. I could clearly see everyones anticipation to have all their questions answered.

"Well I-"

I was cut off by my annoying building-mate/neighbour.

"Ubupup! Let's talk about it over lunch! I'm starving!"

"Yeah same here!" Choji's voice pipped up, followed by a chorus of agreements coming from the group.

Following everyone, Naruto put an arm around my shoulders, leading me inside the restaurant.

When we entered, I noticed Naruto shiver a little. I looked at him concerned, "What's wrong Naruto? Everything alright?"

He grinned at me, his arm still relaxingly placed around my shoulder. "Yeah everything's fine", he stated reassuringly.

Once he said those words, I felt a strange annoyed, yet deadly aura coming from behind me.

"Love has no boundaries; no matter how small it is, no matter the amount it is given, whether it is little or great, if it is strong enough, it will surpass anything... even worlds."

Hey Reader-chan! It's moi, Ki-chan!

I'm sosososososososososososososososososososososososososooooooooo SORRYYYY that I didn't update. I feel AWFUL! And to make things worse, this isn't a good chapter to begin with! Gahhhhh! /3

I had a lot o things to do and it seems that my writer's block is getting even worse :'( FRICKING WRITER'S BLOCK! I'm trying to think of new ideas and how to make the story better, but it seems as that I'm a little stuck here.

But... Arigatou anyways for continuing to read this story. PLEASE COMMENT! I 3 reading them!

Tell me what you think and

Comment &amp; 3 (if ever)

HAPPY READING!

P.S. All Rights Reserved to Kishimoto-sama! ^_^


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